Possibly a button or an incomplete ornament, oval flower shape, greyish green nephrite jade

An incomplete button or ornament, fashioned in greyish green nephrite jade and given a light polish. It is oval with a scalloped edge and carving to give a border that has been cut through after every three scallops, giving a petalled appearance. One side is plain, with minimal detail carved into the petals and in the centre there is a raised, oval dome upon which a raised loop has been carved and pierced with a hole that runs parallel with the length of the oval and also in the plane of the cover. On the other side, the petals have been given concave detail and there is a narrow, raised oval band or ridge that has been carved to form a ring that has remnants of glue or resin present in carved grooves around the base on the inner face and also in an "X" shaped carved groove in the centre. There is damage to the inner side of this ring, both at the top and at its base, suggesting that something has been forcibly removed from inside the ring.

This object was acquired by William Tayler during his time in India (1829-1867). He subsequently sold it to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1874 for the sum of £1-0-0.

William Tayler was educated in England at Charterhouse and also spent a term at Christ Church, Oxford. He entered service with the East India Company on 30th April 1829, arriving in India in October of the same year. He held various posts in Bengal and was appointed Commissioner of Patna in 1855. During his service, he was able to acquire many objects, including hardstones, relating to the customs and religions of India as well as objects from other parts of South Asia.
He was criticised for his handling of the uprisings in Northern India and was moved to a lesser post before being suspended, ultimately resigning on 29th March 1859. He then practised as an advocate in the law courts of Bengal before returning to England in 1867.
He wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Thirty-eight Years in India, in which he states that "After my return to England, circumstances induced me, though with great reluctance, to part with the collection which is now in the South Kensington Museum".

This button or ornament was made within the Mughal empire in the late 18th or early 19th century. It has been fashioned in nephrite jade and was once set with gold and a gemstone. As with many such objects, when they fall into disuse, the gold and gems were subsequently removed and presumably recycled.

648-1874