Ceremonial Boat

Carved ivory peacock boat, at the prow is a peacock with its wings spread. The peacock's feathers pan out across the body of the boat, along the edges are floral toranas. At the stern is a makara, mythical crocodile like creatures. Peacock barges were a commonly used to travel on rivers, and models such as these were made mostly by the ivory carvers of Berhampore, in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Ivory carvings from Murshidabad were displayed as part of the India exhibition in the Crystal Palace in London, 1851.