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Card Case, Carved Sandalwood, Mysore, Karnataka, Southern India, ca. 1800-1820.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

By the 19th century, calling cards had become a vital aspect of social etiquette in Europe and the Americas. To carry these calling cards, specially designed cases were created as an essential accessory. These cases were often beautifully fashioned; a gentleman’s card case was slightly smaller than a lady’s, allowing it to fit conveniently in his pocket.  However, as the 19th century progressed, more colourful and decorative designs became increasingly popular. The cases themselves were crafted from materials such as silver, polished wood, ivory, tortoiseshell, papier-mâché, or mother-of-pearl, with decoration reflecting the owner’s social status. Typically, most cards featured a name and title and sometimes included the name of a house or district.

 

This Calling Card is crafted from sandalwood sourced from Mysore, known as the Sandalwood City of India According to the Mysore Gazetteer, the Gudigar style is described as featuring “interlacing foliage and scrollwork enveloping medallions of Hindu deities and mythological subjects, often adorned with animals.” This elaborate surface coverage, which leaves no space unadorned, became a hallmark of Mysore’s sandalwood carving. The visual outcome is both ornamental and narrative, blending flora, fauna, and figural scenes into a cohesive decorative experience.

 

This particular object is a rectangular, elongated card case characterised by softly rounded edges and a detachable lid. The case is adorned with repeated motifs of foliate scrolls, rosettes, and clusters resembling floral buds, creating a seamless ornamental field. At the centre of the design, the figure is likely to be Viṣṇu. Being elevated by an anthropomorphic figure resembling Garuḍa, his vahana. Surrounding these principal figures are four attendants, depicted as showering their reverence upon Viṣṇu. The lid of the card case features two female figures skillfully crafted to appear as if they are playing the vīṇā. Notably, their lower bodies are fashioned with tails resembling birds, suggesting an ethereal quality to these kiṃnarī figures.

 

Between them, a kīrtimukha—a fierce and protective guardian figure—serves as a focal point, reflecting the merging of cultural motifs. Additionally, a thin wooden strip is attached to the card case, bearing a carved inscription reading “ANNA” accompanied by two star-shaped motifs at either end. This detail hints at its origin and use, suggesting it may have belonged to a colonial lady of significance.

 

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

 

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.Margaret G. Powling, “It’s All in the Cards,” Discover Your Ancestors, Issue 014, June 2014, accessed August 29, 2025, https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/discover-your-ancestors/periodical/14/its-all-in-the-cards-4489/

 

2.Vic, “The Etiquette of Using Calling Cards,” Jane Austen’s World (blog), May 21, 2007, accessed August 29, 2025, https://janeaustensworld.com/2007/05/21/the-etiquette-of-using-calling-cards/

 

3.Margaret G. Powling, “It’s All in the Cards,” Discover Your Ancestors, Issue 014, June 2014, accessed August 29, 2025, https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/discover-your-ancestors/periodical/14/its-all-in-the-cards-4489/

 

4.Claire Green, “Calling Cards and Visiting Cards: A Brief History,” blog, Hoban Cards, September 12, 2016, accessed August 29, 2025, https://hobancards.com/blogs/thoughts-and-curiosities/calling-cards-and-visiting-cards-brief-history

 

5.”From Forest to Art: The Journey of Mysore Sandalwood Carving.” iTokri, accessed July 31, 2025. https://itokri.com/blogs/craft-masala-by-itokri/from-forest-to-art-the-journey-of-mysore-sandalwood-carving

 

6.Balasubramanyam, ed., Census of India 1961, Volume XI: Mysore, Part VII-A, Handicraft Survey Monographs – Crafts Using Wood as the Chief Raw Material(Delhi: Manager of Publications, 1965).

 

7.Margaret G. Powling, “It’s All in the Cards,” Discover Your Ancestors, Issue 014, June 2014, accessed August 29, 2025, https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/discover-your-ancestors/periodical/14/its-all-in-the-cards-4489/

 

8.Elizabeth Moore, “Cornerstone Contributions: Calling Cards—An Introduction From the Past,” DHR (Virginia Department of Historic Resources) (blog), March 2, 2022, accessed August 29, 2025, https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/blog-posts/cornerstone-contributions-calling-cards-an-introduction-from-the-past/

 

 

 

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