Two box panels with mithuna couples late 17th-early 18th century India (Tamil Nadu) These panels are outstanding examples of the arts of the Nayaka dynasty of southern India, known for their patronage of arts associated both with palaces and temples. Ivory carving was a celebrated art form in both realms. The sophistication of composition and execution of these panels point to major ivory workshops directly associated with the Nayaka courts. Notable examples of ivory religious imagery are preserved at Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple museum in Madurai and in the Srirangam temple Museum, Trichy, in Tamil Nadu. Paneled boxes, much favored examples of secular art, survive mostly in incomplete form with individual panels separated from the wooden casket. These two panels are closely related to others that were assembled in modern times, onto a single box; these related panels are now preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Virginia Museum of Art. These are the last two pane