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What is meant by Indian furniture?
At this point it might be worth explaining what is meant by the term Indian furniture, as used in the British furniture retail sector.  It does not (for the benefit of our North American visitors) include furniture of the Native American peoples nor does it include – however unlikely – furniture with any connection to the Caribbean or West Indies.   

In the UK, the term is applied to any furniture style originating from, or influenced by, the Sub-Continent.  This does not mean it is restricted only to furniture that has been made in the country of India. Of course, Indian furniture may be a relatively new category in the UK, but its influences on European styling extend back some 400 years, or as far back as Britain’s first contact with the region, beginning in the 1600s.  Merchants and traders were impressed and charmed by the many different species of timber and by the elaborate and intricate decorative styles they found.   

Materials that could be inlaid to the wood for decoration were exported to Britain from the early 17th Century, as this was a time that coincided with the arrival of the Renaissance influence in Britain – a time when traditional blanket boxes or chests might have been given a design ‘facelift’ although still long before what we would think of as an Indian blanket box would have existed.   

What characterises the Indian blanket box?  
When it comes to distinguishing between an Indian blanket box and any other category then, as mentioned above, the first point to notice is the choice of timber.  This will be some species of tropical hardwood, either similar to a ‘European’ timber in that there is an evenness of colour and grain pattern, or the complete opposite; making a feature of the different colours and grain patterns of the timber.  

The colour variations in the latter are the result of the differences between the heartwood and outer wood of the tree.  Heartwood has strength and provides the frame to hold the tree upright, whereas the outer wood, or sapwood, carries the moisture and nutrients from root to branch.  Colour differences between heartwood and sapwood can be highly pronounced in some species, ranging from a light, golden yellow to a dark red-brown.  This is particularly noticeable in the large panels of wood used in furniture such as Indian blanket boxes.  

The use of Jali
The next distinguishing feature, although certainly less prevalent with Indian blanket boxes than other types of Indian furniture, is the incorporation of Jali into the design.  Jali is the name for the intricate lattice work that is usually crafted in steel and bonded into the centre of panels or used as a decorative fillet.

The name Jali does not apply just to the decorative lattice work found in some Indian Wood furniture, but is also used in architecture, for example in mosques and temples of Oriental origin or influence.   Fittings where they are present on the traditional or rustic-style Indian blanket box, are usually made of metal, are elaborate in style and have a bright finish – such as brass or polished steel.  Contemporary designs would either be bare of any obvious fittings or would typically be more restrained and have a greater similarity to ‘European’ styles.