A Kashmir gilt bronze enamel box – 18th or 19th century

A gilt bronze box with enamel. Kashmir, India – end of the 18th century/begininng of the 19th century.
The cover of this box can be opened in two parts
The metal base, here bronze, was first engraved with special tools to create the design in relief, the grooves were later filled with glass and then embellished with additional engraving and shiny gilding. This technique is called in India "meena" or "meenakari" and was first applied by the Mughal who brought it to India.