Pen case with ink-holder, Tibet, 19th century

Pen case with ink-holder in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number IM.168&A-1927), made in Tibet, dated 19th century. The museum's brief description reads: Pen case with ink-bottle holder and cover, incised and gilt steel, with leather, silk, silver and turquoise, Tibet, 19th century.

Museum description: Pen case of incised and gilt steel, with ink-bottle holder of green leather, Russian silk brocade, and bands of plaited silk; an ink-bottle cover of red-brown leather is connected with the pen case by two cords of plaited red silk passing through a hole in the top of the holder, and with a turquoise-mounted silver-pendant and blue silk tassel by a band of coloured silks woven on a braid-loom. The pen case is fluted and incised with wavey foliate stems in the flutes.

It divides in two at one-third from the top, where occur two eyes for the suspending cord. Each end is in the form of a lotus-bud. The ink-bottle holder is drum-shaped, of stitched green leather, enriched on the top and middle with small pieces of Russian silk and silver thread brocade, and rainbow bands of closely plaited silks. The band of braid-loom woven silk is in terra-cotta and slate and has a pattern of vases and fret-motive.

Attached to it is a silver pendant of 'Endless-Knot' design set on each side with a disc… The museum records it as Steel, incised and gilt; leather; silk, brocade and plaited; silver mounted with turquoise, measuring Length 39.1 cm; Diameter 2.5 cm; Length 5.4 cm; Diameter 5.4 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.