A CARVED EBONY BATAVIAN CASKET WITH LOTUS FLOWERS Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), Dutch East Indies, South East Asia, second half 18th century Of rectangular shape with everted profiles, resting on four compressed, knob-like feet, surmounted by a rectangular, hinged lid with sloping sides, the exterior carved in relief with traditional Batavian vegetal motifs including a lush lotus flower scroll on the lid, fleshy palmette leaves around the lid's edges, and a stylised, shell-like flower motif spraying large, verdant leaves on each side of the base, the interior plain, 15.5cm x 27cm x 17.5cm. Similar ebony caskets, boxes, and cabinets with profuse exotic floral decoration are usually associated with the 17th and 18th-century carpenter workshops of Batavia, the centre of the Dutch East India Company (VOC)'s trading network in Asia from 1610 until about 1799 - 1800, when the Company went bankrupt and was dissolved. Masterfully blending local artistic motifs and techniques with European-style furniture shapes, boxes like the present lot became very sought-after by both the Dutch elite in the region and well-off families in Europe, boasting a constant production and flow of goods tailored for the Western export market.