The adjustable stand was made in the 19^th century  by Indian cabinetmakers, they continued making European-style furniture though they began to introduce motifs from their own culture, as is the case of this music stand with the figure of

 Krishna 

a reincarnation of the god Vishnu, is one of the most important Indian gods. He was the son of the sister of the wicked King Kamsa. Believing a prophecy that he would be killed by one of his sister’s children, Kamsa ordered all her offspring to be slaughtered. With the help of Vishnu, Krishna’s mother took him to live among cowherds where he grew up playing the flute, which, when combined with his beauty, seduced all those who heard him. From his flute comes the sound called Vinamata Gayatri which illuminates all those who hear it.

in the centre.

This rectangular music stand has an open fretwork lectern with a central cross parallel to the sides of the frame and a figure framed in a tondo depicting the god playing a flute. It was made in ebony in India to accommodate English tastes.

The stand sits atop a turned fluted baluster which is profusely carved with acanthus leaves, segments and pearls. The baluster is fixed to a moulded plinth base in the form of a Greek cross carved with a decoration of pearls. The plinth rests on four porcelain castors.

The angle of the lectern, on a long ebony pole, can be regulated thanks to two metal hinges and a metal arc which is checked by a head screw.The height of the lectern can be adjusted by lowering or raising the wooden pole in the hollowed central baluster.

Traditional home life in India took place on floor level which meant that Indian furniture was generally simple and low in height. Other kinds of furniture, originally conceived for different cultures and customs, were first introduced with the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16^th century. In general, Indo-Portuguese furniture followed the fashions in vogue in the Iberian Peninsula at the time, a mixture of Renaissance and Hispano-Arab influences, with a predominance of furniture carved or inlaid with ivory, ebony and other fine woods.

The battle to control the sea and trade with the East was continuous in the history of Europe and in the 17^th century the Dutch fought against the Portuguese to end their dominance in trade with the East. To this end, they set up the Dutch East India Company which grew to become hugely important although it too eventually fell into decline in the mid 18^th century. At the same time, England founded its own East India Company and entered into fruitful trade relations with India that would grow stronger with time, outstripping its Dutch, French and Danish competitors.

Indian furniture with Dutch and English influences followed the changing fashions that came from these countries, and many pieces can be found in the colonies which are very similar in style to those made in Europe.

The combination of fine materials and the consummate skill of Indian craftsmen produced excellent high-quality pieces, especially in the Georgian, Regency and Victorian periods.