A box found in Rudyard Kipling's home, Bateman's, has been recognized as a rare 300-year-old example of the endangered South American Barniz de Pasto craft. This craft involves applying and carving layers of resin from a shrub native to the region. The National Trust curator, Megan Wheeler, noted its rarity and the common misclassification of such artifacts. The box, dating to around 1700 and featuring silver leaf, highlights the challenges in identifying its origin due to limited study and historical records. This discovery emphasizes the need for acknowledging and preserving such cultural heritage.
The importance of the casket was finally recognised as work began on the redisplayed exhibition at the house on his life, work and extensive travels.
Curators at the Victoria & Albert Museum were working on the Barniz de Pasto in their collection, prompting a careful review of our own.
Such pieces are so rarely correctly identified and studied that it is not yet possible to identify the town or even country in South America in which it was made.
This wonderful piece at Bateman's demonstrates the richness of South American craft, highlighting the need for preservation and recognition of its cultural heritage.
Collection
[
|
...
]