Small Antique Anglo-Indian Kashmiri Dragon Carved Revolving Bookcase

Unusual small antique dragon carved walnut Anglo-Indian revolving bookcase from the Kashmir region of India and dating from circa 1910. The solid top is carved with dragons, flowers and stylised longevity characters and features carved borders and edges. It has 8 compartments for books, and stands on a cross pedestal with a solid central pole which allows the bookcase to rotate smoothly. The sides are carved with dragons. In good condition with good colour and patina, it is a very attractive, unusual and useful piece. During the late 19th and early 20th century skilled wood carvers in Kashmir created carved furniture and silverware of high quality for the export market. Often furniture was made to order and then shipped overseas. Customers could choose from designs such as the Lhasa (dragon design) and could even incorporate their own family crests or coats of arms into the design. Complicated screens carved on both sides could take up to a year to carve. Details of this are contained in the book “Our summer in the vale of Kashmir” by Frederick Ward Denys printed in 1915. Construction/Wood:- Walnut