Price 400 000/=
Call
Derived from the Portuguese word armário,
the Almirah was introduced to South Asia
during the colonial era. It denotes cupboard,
wardrobe, ora standing closet.
Detail with carved Ebony Inlay & Porcelain Knobs
This is an authentic 19th-century Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) British or Indo-Dutch Colonial Cabinet-on-Cabinet, locally referred to as a Burutha Kaluwara Biro Almirah.Material and CraftsmanshipPrimary Timber: Solid, highly figured Satinwood (Burutha) making up the warm, honey-toned door and drawer panels.Contrasting Timber: Dark, dense Ebony (Kaluwara) used for the carved framework, pillars, baseboard, and cornices.Features: It showcases hand-turned spiral columns, detailed floral/scroll central borders, and classic white porcelain or glass pull-knobs along the central drawer frieze.Historical ContextDuring the 18th and 19th centuries, European colonial powers (Dutch and British) commissioned local Sri Lankan woodworkers to replicate western furniture. The artisans utilized resilient local tropical hardwoods and often integrated subtle indigenous motifs, resulting in highly valued fusion collector's items. Similar exhibition-quality pieces regularly appear on international antique platforms like 1stDibs or The British Antique Dealers' Association (BADA).
