Read more about "Silver from India", from specific regions.
Partridge Tea Service
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee) (O.M.), ca. 1870
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Various 9 1/8 in. and 5 ½ in. high (23 and 14 cm)
The Custom of Tea
Tea, in India, or chai, had for centuries been served as a beverage that consisted of tea, sugar, and milk, premixed, boiled together, and served—not allowing for variations in the relative quantities of each. The whole concept of a tea service, consisting of a teapot, milk jug or creamer, and sugar bowl, was a British concept. Although brought by the British army and civilian patrons in India, it was a fashion adopted by Indian Anglophiles. Based in Bhuj, in the Kutch district of Western India, Oomersi Mawji the elder was appointed court silversmith to his highness the Mahrao of Kutch, one such Anglophile who adopted the Western fashion of preparing tea with the three separate elements.
This museum-quality, exquisite partridge (or francolin) tea service should not be considered as a set of serving vessels, but rather as sculpture. As Oomersee Mawji (most auction houses and collectors spells his last name as Mawji, however, Oomersee spells his last name on all his drawings as well as other documents as Mawjee), was wont to do in some of the animals he has depicted against foliate backgrounds, he here depicts a life-and-death struggle; in this case, a mother bird, a snake having wrapped itself around her neck, is being strangled. Her two chicks, one, the sugar bowl with closed-wing lid; the other, the milk jug with raised-wing handle, observe their mother’s plight in alarm.
Mawji was the master of animals depicted in dramatic struggles: deer chased by hounds, or elephants, their tusks entangled, engaged in mortal combat.
The teapot has two double-rimmed ivory insulators, and the bases of all three birds are stabilized by the snakes beneath their feet. Each feather is rendered and incised individually, as is each realistic scale on the snakes’ bodies. Mawjee did not do many pieces of this type that did not bear the influence of the sentimental and flowery style of the Victorian era. (This writer has in his collection of a parrot-head parasol handle and seen a duck’s head cane top, e.g., but those pieces were devoid of the drama and raw emotion depicted here.) “O.M. Bhuj” cameo punches on snakes.
Published: Exceptional works of Art, Pushkin Antiques, 2017, pp. 68-69.
Published: Exceptional works of Art, Pushkin Antiques, 2017, pp. 68-69.
Quail Tea Service
Premjibhai, son of Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M. Baroda), ca. 1920
Sterling Silver
Premjibhai, son of Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M. Baroda), ca. 1920
Baroda, Gujarat, India
Dimensions: Various 6 3/8, 4 3/8 in. and 4 in. high (16, 11 and 10 cm)
Weight: 37.2 oz. (1,055 grams)
A 20th-Century Indian Magnificent Cutch solid-silver three-piece tea service, modeled as seated, well-rounded quails, realistically decorated with detailed feathers and richly gilded interior. The large quail is modeled as the teapot, with its head hinging open along the beak to serve as the spout, and the serpent serving as the handle, with insulators. The milk-jug quail with the hinged head also has a cobra handle, and the sugar bowl is handleless, with a well-concealed hinge on its lid.
Compare this tea service, a well-executed rendering of a family of quail, with another tea service on this Web site—a family of partridges, or francolins. It is no coincidence that the two concepts are so similar. The partridge tea service is by Oomersi Mawji the elder; the quail tea service by Oomersee Mawji the younger. While the partridge service expresses the senior’s familiar fascination with life and death—in that the mother bird is being strangled by the snake—the quail service, although continuing the cobra theme as handles, here use the snakes as functional decoration, while in the partridge service the scene seems to portray a dynamic life-and-death moment.
This quail service is executed with all the skill of the master silversmith, the overlapping feathers being extremely fine and detailed, but the hallmarks of the partridge and quail services are remarkably different for several reasons.
Although traces of the original marks can still be seen on the quail pieces, the original marks have been removed and replaced by the English Sheffield import mark and the retail importer’s mark. The year of import is signified by a Z as 1967, and the importer’s mark is F.D., for F. Drury Ltd, Gilleyfield Avenue, Dore, Sheffield, a silversmith who was active from 1964 to 1994. The silversmith’s marks were almost completely eradicated when the set was imported or possibly just assayed—because it was a legal requirement for assayers to remove unknown marks considered spurious when a foreign silver item was tested to be sold in Sheffield in 1967. (In 1967, there was no knowledge of Indian silversmiths that might have justified keeping the “O.M” marks; it was only the silver purity that had to be coherent with British standards.) That said, although enough of one mark remains to allow deciphering the rectangular shapes with the letters “O.M. BARODA,” the attribution is nevertheless confirmed in terms of style and exceptional quality.  | |
| From Oomersee's own scapebook, private collection | |
There have been, so far as known to this collector, three tea services of this design to have come to market:
1. The first, shown here, belonging to this collector, bearing the consistent theme of the cobra in both pot and milk jug, must be considered the earliest example and the best in terms of coherence and style, suggesting that it was one of the first produced, possibly after a design by Oomersee Mawji the elder, whose use of cobras in design was already established (as can be seen in this collector’s partridge tea service).
2. The second, known, almost-identical example, but with a plume handle on both milk jug and teapot (this, perhaps, a nod to European rather than Indian design, that diminishes the original style of both Mawjis, father, and son). This last set was sold in Bonham’s Indian, Himalayan & South Asian Art Auction, 18 March 2013.
3. A third similar set, but with the teapot having a plume-capped handle and the milk jug a cobra handle, is also by Oomersi Mawji the younger, and formerly from Paul F. Walter Collection, is now in the Virginia museum. (See Dehejia’s Delight in Design: Indian silver for the British Raj, New York, 2008, no. 23, pp. 92 & 93). Although each piece of this third set is individually beautifully designed, it is together undeniably a lesser-quality example, because the combination of the plume handle on one piece and a cobra handle on another, strongly suggest that the service was a “marriage,” a combination of pieces from two different sets.Published: Exceptional Silversmiths, Pushkin Antiques, 2019, pp. 34-35.
Figural Parrot Parasol Handle
Kutch, Bhuj, India
Dimension: 4 3/4in. high (12 cm)
Weight: 2.12 oz. (60 grams)
Here is a delightfully naturalistic, figural silver parasol handle, which exhibits Mawji's mastery of silver as a sculptural medium.
Mawji's sympathetic portrayal of the bird immediately commands our attention, because of its pose and expression. Its staring eyes bowed the head, and the slightly open beak is so characteristic of parrot that it is not only its form, but its manner is recognized immediately. The fine detailing, with different areas of feathering treated is slightly different ways, and the long tail feathers are particularly elegant.
Kantharos, after Ancient Pompeiian Cup
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Dimension: 5 1/8 in. high (13 cm)
Weight: 26.42 oz. (749 grams)
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Left: Centaur (male) with "Krater" and Right: Centaur (female) with Cherub, Oomersee Mawji kantharos, Harish Patel Collection. |
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Original Pompeii kantharos
Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Naples.
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The city of Pompeii was buried by the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 C.E. In the eighteenth century, excavations were begun at the site first acknowledged as Pompeii, and it quickly became a compelling attraction for young British men of means who were making the traditional, nineteenth-century European trip known as the Grand Tour.
Vidya Dehejia, in her 2008 book Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj, mentions a Pompeiian artifact, a statue of Dionysius [ca. 70 cm high] that was excavated from the portion of the site known as Casa dei vasi d’argento, or “house of silver vases,” which held a treasure of 14 silver vases—including two silver kantharos cups embossed with centaurs and cherubs (one of which is replicated in the example from our collection). As the interest in Pompeii became even greater, modern (nineteenth-century) Italian craftsmen rushed to reproduce the ancient designs. In the case of the Dionysius figure, bronze replicas were created of the original bronze figure (with the exception noted below); in the case of the kantharos cups, silver replicas, of the original silver pieces.
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Left: Dionysius silver replica, Mawji, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Center: Bronze original Dionysius, Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Naples.
Top right: Replica silver kantharos (cup 2), Mawji (present location unknown).
Bottom right: Original Pompeiian silver kantharos (cup 2), Museo Archeologico
Nazionale of Naple.
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Pragmal II, the maharao of Kutch from 1860–75, had decided to build a new palace, the architecture for which he commissioned a certain Henry St. Clair Wilkins (1828–1896), a British East Indian army general and already a noted architect. In the course of the palace’s construction, Wilkins brought in a number of Italian craftsmen, to exercise their world-renowned skills in architectural details and adornment. Their labors would extend over long years—longer, in fact, that the lifespan of Pragmal II [Dehejia, Vidya, Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj, 2008].
Pragmal was succeeded by Khengar III, who reigned, remarkably, until 1942—far longer than his predecessor. Dehejia speculates that it must have been in the early part of this period that one of the Italian bronze Dionysius replicas came to the attention of the long-reigning maharao, who then instructed his master silversmith, Oomersee Mawji, to create a replica of the figure. The Mawji replica was created at roughly half the size of the original, and in silver, not in bronze. (Indeed, the hallmarks O.M. and BHUJ are in the style of the marks the silversmith used between 1860-1890 [Dehejia, p. 130-131]). It is very likely that the Mawji piece was subsequently sent to international exhibitions, to illustrate to the world that the Indian expertise in design and sculpture easily matched that of the Italian craftsmen.
As mentioned earlier, this cup is an Oomersi Mawji replica of one of the two kantharos cups found at the excavation site. There is also one Mawji silver replica of the second Pompeiian cup, which we have seen, and a photo of which appears here.
Other two kantharos cups by Oomersee Mawji are in Nelson Atkin Museum in Kansas City and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In June 2020, yet another two kantharos cups by Mawji came to the market in the Lisbon auction, surprisingly these two kantharos cups were treated with gold vermeil. This blogger is unaware that Mawji was involved in this kind of treatment to his silver objects and it may very well be that gold vermeil was done in Europe to these two cups.
A silver after Ancient Herculaneum Askos
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Dimension: 6 1/8 in. H (15.5 cm)
Weight: 18.17 oz. (515 grams)
This askos, of typical form, has a lobate body above an inscribed to the underside of the top rim reading: “PEGS -MY LOVE ALWAYS - JOHN / 20TH OCTOBER 1971”
The word askos, from the ancient Greek, originally meant a wineskin. It has come to be used for another vessel, one used to pour small quantities of oil and other liquids. Such vessels are known by their flat shape and a spout, at either or both ends, that could also be used as a handle. Such an askos was usually pottery, painted decoratively and mainly used for storing oil for lamps. They were produced mainly in Attica, Etruria, and Memphis, and extensively traded in and around Greece and the Mediterranean region.
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Left to right (not in scale): 1.Original Askos at National Archaeological Museum of Naples; 2.Oomersee Mawji’s drawing at British Museum, London; 3. Oomersee Mawji’s Askos; 4. George Gordon’s Askos. |
Oomersee
Mawji did a pencil drawing of this silver replica of the Herculaneum askos,
(drawing by OM is in the British Museum, 2011, 3014.140), and created several
replicas of Pompeii silver for the Maharao of Kutch. One of the kantharos created
in silver by Mawji is a part of this collection. (See Kutch section of this blog). Gorge Gordon & Co. also created a little
larger version of OM askos in 1840 in
Madras, (See Madras section of this blog). It is humorous to note that Oomersee could not help
himself from adding Kutch style to this silver by adding two zoomorphic feet
and coriander leaves pattern on the bottom rim, which is a total out of sync
with the Roman style. Similarly, he has done a teapot, ca. 1890 in the manner
designed by Christopher Dresser with a misunderstanding of the style and added
zoomorphic feet to a streamlined design, see Wilkinson’s Indian Silver, 1858-1947, p. 85.
Zoomorphic Holy Water Container, Goumukhi
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 16 ¾ inches (42.5 cm)
Weight: 91oz. (2820 grams)
The word goumukhi means “in the shape of a cow’s mouth.” In certain fertility rituals, the goumukhi was used to carry and pour Ganges water over a representation of a lingam, but very few goumukhi vessels survive today. The cobra, or ñaga, which forms the handle of the vessel, is the protector of sources of water—rivers, and springs—and, thus, also, of fertility. The goumukhi shape, the ñaga handle, and the Shiva Lingam motifs on the vessel are all references to Lord Shiva. The vessel’s impressive scale adds presence to it as an art object, and the foliate work around the lid and base, typical of Kutch design, identifies the piece, which is unsigned, as having come from this part of Gujarat. See another similar example of this form with a body in coconut-shell published in Mughal Silver Magnificence, XVI-XIXth Century, Antalga, Brussels, 1987, p.170, no. 261.
Published and Exhibited: Reflecting Power: Three Schools of Indian Silver. By: W. Wilkinson, London, 2008.
Provenance: Paul Walter Collection and Indar Pasricha Fine Arts.
Square-Form Tea Service
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Dimensions:
Teapot 6 1⁄4 in. h (15.9 cm);
26.52 oz. (749 grams)
Cream pitcher 3 7/8 in. h (9.9 cm);
9.48 oz. (269 grams)
Sugar bowl — 3 1⁄2 in. h (8.9 cm)
13.27 oz. (376 grams)
Tea Service Weight: 49.27 oz. (1,397 grams)
According to the hallmark “O.M. Bhuj,” this unusual and exquisitely designed tea service was designed by Oomersi Mawji the elder. On the top of the teapot’s hinged lid is a coiled cobra, forming the lid’s finial, and the teapot handle has ivory insulators. Each piece has a cube form, and each of the four sides of the sugar and creamer bears a hunting scene against a background of foliate coriander and fluttering birds. These are the sort of beautifully rendered designs Mawji is known for.
What makes this service unique is two features: the extraordinary elegantly caparisoned elephant heads that make up the handles for all three pieces—the accuracy of the detail going so far as to depict the tusks trimmed in the manner of domesticated elephants—and the scenes on two of the four sides of the teapot: One is a horseman whose mount is being attacked by a tiger; the other, a caparisoned elephant who, at the moment he captured in silver, seems to be getting the best of a tiger who has attacked him. Usually, Mawji’s animal scenes show either domesticated animals—or wild animals in combat with one another. It is unusual for him to portray a domesticated animal in combat with a wild animal, although such incidents must have occurred both during hunts and long, cross-country treks.
What makes this service unique is two features: the extraordinary elegantly caparisoned elephant heads that make up the handles for all three pieces—the accuracy of the detail going so far as to depict the tusks trimmed in the manner of domesticated elephants—and the scenes on two of the four sides of the teapot: One is a horseman whose mount is being attacked by a tiger; the other, a caparisoned elephant who, at the moment he captured in silver, seems to be getting the best of a tiger who has attacked him. Usually, Mawji’s animal scenes show either domesticated animals—or wild animals in combat with one another. It is unusual for him to portray a domesticated animal in combat with a wild animal, although such incidents must have occurred both during hunts and long, cross-country treks.
OM Monumental Four-Piece Tea/Coffee Service
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Dimensions/Weight:
Teapot — 10 inches tall (25.4 cm);
38.53 oz. (1,092 grams)
Coffeepot — 8 1⁄2 inches tall (21 cm);
33.73 oz. (956 grams)
Cream pitcher — 5 1/8 inches tall (13 cm);
13.57 oz. (385 grams)
Sugar bowl — 5 inches tall (12.7 cm)
20.77 oz. (589 grams)
Tea Service Weight: 106.6 oz. (3,025 grams)
To one who is already very familiar with Oomersee Mawjee’s style and forms, the most striking characteristic of this service is its monumental size. If the other pieces in this writer’s collection can be called household-sized, then this service can be called palace-sized. (For some idea of scale, note the photo of the coffee pot next to the wine bottle.)
Insofar as the silver motifs on each piece go, they are typical of those usually favored by OM: boar, lion, or deer hunts; animals in combat with each other; or attack scenes, such as a lion setting upon a horse and rider. There are, in addition to the tableaux, occasional peacocks or smaller birds set among the foliate surfaces.
The handles of the pieces are makara (crocodiles); and the finials, caparisoned elephants. What is somewhat more unusual for OM Bhuj pieces is the spout of the milk jug, which is modeled as the head of a chinkara, or gazelle, its mouth open to allow for the issue of milk.
Coffee Pot with Landscape and Animals
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 7 ½ in. high (19.05 cm)
Weight: 19.04 oz. (550 grams)
Both landscape and animals have been executed with painterly details, the palms’ low-hanging fruit drooping gracefully down, mountains in the background adding depth to the scene, the occasional small cloud drifting above.
Even the traditional Kutch coriander-leaf adornments are executed here more precisely than seen in other such pieces, their specific foliate segments centered behind the spout and the ivory-insulated handle. Atop the double-rimmed hinged lid, a coiled and scaled cobra is the finial.
Punch-stamped “O.M Bhuj.”
Punch-stamped “O.M Bhuj.”
Solid Silver Ewer
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca, 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 9 1.2 in. H (24 cm)
Weight: 23.1 oz. (655 grams)
19th Century Indian Kutch silver ewer with removable stopper. Of heavy gauge, decorated all over with typically Cutch chasing, distinguished by its closely worked, foliate and floral repoussé design.
Antique late-19th Century Indian Kutch (Cutch), Bhuj, Gujarat region hand crafted solid silver ewer with removable stopper. Of heavy gauge, decorated all over with typically Cutch chasing, distinguished by its closely worked, foliate and floral repoussé design. The bulbous body adorned on each side with hunting scenes, of a lion killing and wild dogs killing a gazelle (chinkara), surrounded by dense scrolled foliate and floral work against a finely tooled background, stopper and handle in the same complimentary style.
This is an extraordinarily made Indian Colonial piece, excellent workmanship and very heavy gauge. As often the case for Indian silver, the piece is unmarked (acid tested show a 900+ silver standard), but is clearly work of a of prominent Indian Kutch silversmith.
Beaker with Animal Figures
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1865
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 4 3/4 in. Tall (11.5 cm)
Top: 3 in. Diam. (7.62 cm)
Bottom: 2 1/4 in. Diam (5.72 cm)
Bottom: 2 1/4 in. Diam (5.72 cm)
Weight: 5.86 oz. (166.13 grams)
This silver beaker is immediately recognizable by its style and design as the work of the master, Oomersee Mawji. The coriander background motif is typically Kutch, and the beautifully imagined and executed animal scenes—in this case, a lion, a tiger, and a gazelle—can only be attributed to the master's earlier work, and it is so signed, "O.M. BHUJ".
Provenance: Private collection, UK
Three-Piece Bachelor's Tea Service
Bhuj J.D.
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions/Weight:
Teapot — 4 3/4 in. h (12.1 cm);
17.05 oz. (483 grams)
Cream Pitcher — 3 7⁄8 in. h (9.5 cm);
8.47 oz. (240 grams)
Sugar Bowl — 4 1⁄4 in. diam. (10.8 cm)
11.71 oz. (332 grams)
Tea Service— 37.23 oz. (1,056 grams)
Each piece in this service bears four framed floral bouquets, the center one with an unengraved cartouche. Looking from the top-down, each piece is in quatrefoil shape. The handles are scrolled gracefully, and the finials hark back to an earlier, regency design. The form and design of the service bear no indication of its Bhuj origin, and it was obviously a commissioned set done in the British style. 
A Silver Rectangular Box
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1860
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 7 1/8 in. w x 4 7/8 in. d x 3 in. h (18 w x 12.5 d x 7.3 h cm)
Weight: 21.9 oz. (621 grams)
Weight: 21.9 oz. (621 grams)
This exceptionally finely made silver box is decorated with répoussé and chased sylvan and hunting themes arranged in framed panels. The top panel depicts a riverbank, on which a pride of lions has been enraged by the actions of two men in a boat, making their escape. One of the men can be seen to be holding a lion cub, which he has just abducted, and the other man is poling the craft away from the shore. The scene is bordered by scrolling grapevines interrupted by birds.
The side, front, and back panels depict other animals—a monkey observing a pair of bears, a tapir-like animal and a water buffalo drinking from a pond, a boar being surrounded by hounds, and two gazelles making an escape, while a stag is set upon by dogs—each of these panels bordered by floral tendrils.
Indian Colonial Silver Cigarette/Card Case
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1870
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 3 3/4 in. x 3 1/8 in. x 3/4 in. (9.3 x 8x1.8 cm)
Weight: 5.4 oz. (170 gram)
This fine silver cigarette case has a plain rectangular form with rounded corners. The anterior cover is répoussé and chased design is of a jungle scene with two elephants, one bathing in a pool, one on the bank of the pool, the two surrounded by tropical greenery and palm trees. The elephant in the pool has one leg lifted ever so slightly as if the animal is trying to determine the firmness of the sandy bottom. The animals are depicted realistically and naturally, as if in a painting done with masterful brushstrokes.
OM Card Case
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1880
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 4 in. x 2 3/8 in. x 7/16 in., (10 x 6.2 x 1 cm)
Weight: 3.2 oz. (90.7 grams)
Weight: 3.2 oz. (90.7 grams)
A small piece, yet one that has one of the master silversmith’s particularly fine elephants, outfitted in decorated caparison, as it would have been for a durbar. There were grand durbars in Delhi in 1903 and 1911—the latter of which, the only one attended by a reigning monarch, George V, was called, at the time, “the greatest spectacle the world has ever seen” and referred to later as “the last hurrah of the raj.” (A durbar was a highly choreographed official court parade, complete with elaborately uniformed soldiers marching and camels and elephants bedecked in jeweled bridles and blankets.)
One side of this card case is ornamented by the elephant, against a foliate background, while the other side bears a cartouche engraved “M.H.” Referencing either one of the durbars would have made this piece a fashionable accessory in which a gentleman of the raj could carry his calling cards. Marked, under the hinged lid, “O.M.”
A very fine quality silver Card Case with all over foliate and animal chasing. Detailed to both sides and with hinged lid.
One side of this card case is ornamented by the elephant, against a foliate background, while the other side bears a cartouche engraved “M.H.” Referencing either one of the durbars would have made this piece a fashionable accessory in which a gentleman of the raj could carry his calling cards. Marked, under the hinged lid, “O.M.”
Card Case
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 4 1/4 in. high (10,8 cm)
Weight: 4.2 oz. (137 grams)
Weight: 4.2 oz. (137 grams)
A very fine quality silver Card Case with all over foliate and animal chasing. Detailed to both sides and with hinged lid.
A Pair of Condiment Pots on Stand
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.)
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca,1870
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
7 1/4 in. h (18.5 cm)
7 1/4 in. h (18.5 cm)
3 1/4 in. diam., each dish (8 cm)
Total weight: 13.7 oz. (388 grams)
The stand for these two pots has a double-circular base and a handle of double-entwined cobras, the set on bun feet. The pots themselves bear the Kutch coriander-leaf design enhanced by two bands, one polished and one beaded. The interiors of the pots have been gilded, not as an element of design, but to guard against damage from the condiments, such as mustard, that would have reacted with the silver. These fine tableware pieces are the work of India’s master silversmith and are marked “O.M. Bhuj.”
Teacup and Saucer
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1860
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Saucer: 1 in. h x 5 3/8 in. diam. (2.54 x 13.65 cm)
Cup: 2 5/8 in. h x 4 in. l x 3 ¼ in. diam.
(6.7 cm tall x 10.16 long x 8.25 diam)
Set Weight: 9 oz. (255 grams)
Saucer: 1 in. h x 5 3/8 in. diam. (2.54 x 13.65 cm)
Cup: 2 5/8 in. h x 4 in. l x 3 ¼ in. diam.
(6.7 cm tall x 10.16 long x 8.25 diam)
Set Weight: 9 oz. (255 grams)
Here is another piece that can only lead one to try to imagine its romantic history. The two pieces are a matched teacup and saucer, by the renowned Kutch silversmith Oomersee Mawji, and bearing his stylized coriander-leaves-and-flowers motif. Each piece is inscribed “E.B. Lover,” the cup on its side, emblazoned on a ribbon; the saucer around its center, where the cup would rest.But Oomersee Mawji, who certainly made many teapots, knew well that a hot liquid in a silver cup would render the cup handle impossible to be held in one’s fingers. It appears then that the teacup and saucer were perhaps never intended for holding tea, but that the form was rather only fanciful, perhaps meant to hold a small bouquet of flowers on a breakfast tray, or to convey some particular allusion. And what of the inscription, “E. B. Lover”? Is it simply the name of someone it was presented as a gift? Or does “lover “ signify something else altogether? Time has its secrets. Another teacup and saucer by Oomersee are the British Museum.
Three-piece Tea Service
Ragavaji Mawji (M.R. Bhuj), ca. 1880
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Teapot: 7 in. h. (17.8 cm)
Weight: 45 oz. 8dwt. (1,275 gram)
When one hears the names Mawjee, Bhuj, and Kutch in the same sentence, one assumes the references are to Oomersee Mawji. But there is another, lesser-known Mawji, Raghavji Mawji, a contemporary of Oomerji’s, who may or may not be related to the master. He nevertheless deserves a ranking next to him.
Teapot: 7 in. h. (17.8 cm)
Weight: 45 oz. 8dwt. (1,275 gram)
When one hears the names Mawjee, Bhuj, and Kutch in the same sentence, one assumes the references are to Oomersee Mawji. But there is another, lesser-known Mawji, Raghavji Mawji, a contemporary of Oomerji’s, who may or may not be related to the master. He nevertheless deserves a ranking next to him.
This tea service stamped “MR” and “BHUJ within inset rectangle, is by the “other Mawji.”
Finely chased all over with typically Kutch scrolling foliage and flowers, and interspersed with birds and a series of animal battle scenes, the teapot spout ends in a zoomorphic pourer. Lizard-form handles like these are a Raghavji favorite and appear in many of his pieces. (Some of Ragavaji Mawji's designs appear elsewhere on this blog, on the page “Silversmiths' Design Drawings.”)
Ragavaji Mawji (M.R. Bhuj), ca. 1880
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Teapot: 15 in. h. (38.1 cm)
Weight: 43 oz. 8dwt. (1220 gram)
Teapot: 15 in. h. (38.1 cm)
Weight: 43 oz. 8dwt. (1220 gram)
A particularly splendid piece, with fine all-over chasing of typically Kutch scrolling foliage and flowers interspersed with figures and animals. The finial is a unique figure on camelback; the handle, a cobra climbing a silver “tree” and being teased upward by a snake-charmer.
Perfume Flaçon
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Size: 5 7/8 inches high (14.7cm)
1 3/8 inches wide (3.5cm)
Kutch chased silver perfume flaçon, or scent bottle, conical, with a screw top, and unengraved cartouche.
Size: 5 7/8 inches high (14.7cm)
1 3/8 inches wide (3.5cm)
Weight: 2.7 oz. (76g)
An Unusually Large Presentation Chased-Silver Document Holder
Kutch, Bhuj, India, or Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, ca. 1880–1926
(The presentation inscription is 1926, but the piece likely dates to 1890.)
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Size: 20 1/2 in. (52cm) long
Weight: 31.8 oz. (884 grams)
Silver scroll holders were used in both Burma and India, for the presentation of documents and as presentation cases for departing Colonial administrators. This particular one is unusually large, relative to known others.
In typical cylindrical form, the piece bears densely foliate chased decoration inhabited by parakeets, peacocks, and other exotic birds. The central cartouche is engraved:
“George Brown Esq. from Sabaragamuwa Planters Association, April 1926.”
One of the rounded end caps opens to reveal a compartment in which is an illuminated certificate bearing the name “George Brown,” in recognition of his “long and valuable services” to the Sabaragamuwa Planters Association. (George Brown was chairman of the Planters Association of Ceylon, according to) Nicholas’s Planter’s Handbook: Labour in Ceylon, Colombo, 1926. His words were also reported briefly in the “Social and Personal” column of the Straits Times, 21 October 1926, p. 8.)
Since the document holder was presented in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, the assumption must be made that that is where it was made, but, if that is indeed the case, the local silversmith was at least heavily influenced by the style of Kutch, Bhuj, because the style of the chased decoration looks typically, Kutch.
The piece is mounted on a slightly later stand, of ebony, with a carved lotus border.
Dimensions:
Size: 20 1/2 in. (52cm) long
Weight: 31.8 oz. (884 grams)
Silver scroll holders were used in both Burma and India, for the presentation of documents and as presentation cases for departing Colonial administrators. This particular one is unusually large, relative to known others.
In typical cylindrical form, the piece bears densely foliate chased decoration inhabited by parakeets, peacocks, and other exotic birds. The central cartouche is engraved:
“George Brown Esq. from Sabaragamuwa Planters Association, April 1926.”
Since the document holder was presented in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, the assumption must be made that that is where it was made, but, if that is indeed the case, the local silversmith was at least heavily influenced by the style of Kutch, Bhuj, because the style of the chased decoration looks typically, Kutch.
The piece is mounted on a slightly later stand, of ebony, with a carved lotus border.
Chalice
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca, 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 7 ½ in. x 3 ½ in. (19.2 cm x 9 cm)
This silver chalice quite likely had ecclesiastical origins. It is lavishly ornamented with the traditional Kutch coriander pattern, but the fronds growing up from the stem are designed and executed particularly well in a variant of the Kutch style not so frequently seen. The stem itself has a pattern of overlapping shells or fish scales. Unmarked.
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
8 ½ in. x 10 ½ in. (21.6 cm x 26.7 cm)
1 ¼ in. border (3.2 cm)
Here is an unusual piece from Oomersi Mawji. Mawji is known for his silver tableware, tea services, and trays—but not for his picture frames. This fine example of the master’s work is a charming, large, easel-backed frame festooned with asymmetrically arranged, pierced design of coriander leaves and flowers. Centered on its bottom border is a convex, oval-shaped cartouche, suitable for engraving. Marked “O.M. BHUJ” on its back.
8 ½ in. x 10 ½ in. (21.6 cm x 26.7 cm)
1 ¼ in. border (3.2 cm)
Here is an unusual piece from Oomersi Mawji. Mawji is known for his silver tableware, tea services, and trays—but not for his picture frames. This fine example of the master’s work is a charming, large, easel-backed frame festooned with asymmetrically arranged, pierced design of coriander leaves and flowers. Centered on its bottom border is a convex, oval-shaped cartouche, suitable for engraving. Marked “O.M. BHUJ” on its back.
Three-Piece Tea Service
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Teapot – 6 1/4 in. h (15.5 cm)
Teapot – 6 1/4 in. h (15.5 cm)
Cream pitcher – 4 1/4 in. h ( 10.8 cm)
Sugar bowl – 4 3/4 in. diam. (12 cm)
Tea Service Weight: 34.43 oz. (1,071 grams)
This is a very special and unusual tea service. The form of each piece is a footed sphere, and the quality of work is equal to that of the Bhuj master silversmith Oomersee Mawjee. The pieces have an allover foliate design, with every flower and leaf done as exquisitely as it would be if it were the centerpiece, instead of supporting design, for the finely conceived and unusual animal scenes.
On one side of the teapot (which retains its original ivory insulators), a leopard is shown, killing an eland, and, on the other, a Sikh on horseback is boar-hunting (or “pig-sticking,” as the sport was sometimes called). On one side of the sugar bowl, a lion is carrying an eland in its teeth, and, on the other, a lioness is killing a large, plumed bird. On one side of the creamer is a wolf, and, on the other, a leopard. All three pieces are fitted with hinged lids with elephant finials, and all the pieces are further embellished with coriander-leaf designs on the feet and bottom borders. The service is rendered in .925 silver and is absolutely museum quality.
Some silver from Kutch is marked “Bhuj,” for that city in Kutch, but many workshops were in other parts of Kutch as well. The most renowned of all Kutch silversmiths, indeed of all Indian silversmiths, is Oomersi Mawji, whom some consider having been the finest silversmith in the world. The sons of Oomersee Mawji, after their father’s death, continued in his tradition.
George V Kutch Tea Service
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Teapot: 12 in. handle to spout (30.4 CM) and 6 in. tall (15.2 cm), weighing 26 oz. (737 grams).
Creamer: 6 in. handle to spout (15.2 cm) and weighing 8 1/2 oz. (241 grams)
Sugar bowl: 8 in. handle to handle (20.3 cm) and weighing 13 oz. (368 grams)
Three-piece service weighs 47 1/2 oz. (1,346 grams)
This tea service is an interesting marriage of styles, the form being pure English (George V), and the répoussé and chasing of the silverwork completely Indian (Kutch). The George V style is exemplified by the forms of the pieces, the fluting on the bases and the teapot lid, and the finial of the teapot. The pot has ivory insulators, typical Kutch coriander-leaf design, and bears a blank shield on its front.
It is interesting to observe that the sugar and creamer, although they are of exactly the same pattern and form as the teapot and were obviously created as a set, are of a proportion not usually seen in tea services. (The sugar bowl, for example, would hold a volume of sugar equal to half the volume of the teapot.) Since, Indian-style tea, chai, is made with milk and sugar added in the kitchen, not served at the table, it is possible that the appropriate relative proportions of sugar and creamer and teapot might have been a mystery to the silversmith who actually created this quite grand-looking service.
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M), ca. 1880
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 10 7/8 in. long (27.7 cm)
Weight: 13.83 oz. (392 grams)
This exceptionally fine piece, a hand mirror, is signed “OM,” at the bottom of the oval back portion, for Oomersee Mawji. Oomersee Mawji was the court silversmith to the ruler of Kutch, Maharao Shri Mirza Raja Sawai Khengarji Bahadurno. The back of the oval mirror portion is profusely worked in répoussé and chasing, and depicts two elephants fighting, and, below them, a deer brought down by hounds, all amid scrolling vines and flowers. The handle portion is further decorated with another animal and more scrolling vines.
A Very Fine Unmarked Kutch Silver Hand Mirror
Bhuj, Kutch, India, ca. 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 12 5⁄8 L x 5 1/8 inches W (32 L x 13 cm W)
Weight: 17.1 oz. (485 grams)
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 12 5⁄8 L x 5 1/8 inches W (32 L x 13 cm W)
Weight: 17.1 oz. (485 grams)
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
Kalash
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 4 1/2 in. h (11.43 cm)
Weight: 10 oz. (283 grams)
The kalash is a vessel traditionally used in Hindu worship, or puja, to hold water, milk, or ghee, for pouring over a deity. This kalash is decorated in the traditional Kutch coriander motif, but superimposed on that pattern are the animal depictions that are the mark of Oomersee Mawji.
Mawji, particularly among all other Indian smiths, was able to breathe life into his animals, as he showed the anguish of a mortal attack, the adrenaline rush of a hunt, or the scampering of a deer. The kalash is an example of Oomersee at his best.
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, IndiaSterling Silver
Weight: 10 oz. (283 grams)
The kalash is a vessel traditionally used in Hindu worship, or puja, to hold water, milk, or ghee, for pouring over a deity. This kalash is decorated in the traditional Kutch coriander motif, but superimposed on that pattern are the animal depictions that are the mark of Oomersee Mawji.
Mawji, particularly among all other Indian smiths, was able to breathe life into his animals, as he showed the anguish of a mortal attack, the adrenaline rush of a hunt, or the scampering of a deer. The kalash is an example of Oomersee at his best.
A Footed Mug
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1870
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 3 13/16 in. h (9.7 cm)
Weight: 6.3 oz. (178.8 grams)
This exceptionally fine piece, a footed mug, is stamped on the bottom “OM•Bhuj,” for Oomersee Mawji. Mawji was the court silversmith to the ruler of Kutch, Maharao Shri Mirza Raja Sawai Khengarji Bahadurno. The piece is profusely répoussé and chased with the typical Kutch foliate coriander pattern, but is further ornamented with a wolf killing a sheep, a tiger attacking an oryx and a lion. The handle portion is further decorated with flowers and leaves, and the piece is supported on three bun feet.
Triangular Bowl
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca.1890
Kutch, Bhuj, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 2 ½ in. h (6.3 cm)
Weight: 5.63 oz. (159.7 grams)
A small bowl, of rounded triangular form, executed and signed by Oomersee Mawji. The intelligence of the artist’s design is always apparent in his pieces, and so it is in this one. The theme here is grapes, grapevines, and birds, and Mawji has deliberately forsaken the traditional coriander leaf in order to be true to the vineyard motif. Mawji would not have known of grapes or vineyards, had he not, after having achieved some celebrity, traveled not only to other parts of India but to Europe as well.
Bowl with Scallop-Shaped Rim
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca.1890
Kutch, Bhuj, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 4 in. diam., 2 5/8 in. h (10.1 x 6.7 cm)
Weight: 4.87 oz. (138.1 grams)
Small signed Kutch bowl, worked in répoussé and chased, with the traditional Kutch coriander leaf and the beautifully designed and crafted animals (elephants shown here) that Oomersee Mawji is known for.
Unsigned Milk Jug
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 5 in. spout to handle, 3 ½ in. h (12.7 x 8.9 cm)
Weight: 3.96 oz. (112.2 grams)
Weight: 3.96 oz. (112.2 grams)
A milk jug that, though unsigned, can be shown proudly next to the best-signed pieces. It is finely worked in répoussé and chased, but its graceful organic shape is the true display of the smith’s art.
Signed Milk Jug
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 3 1/2 in. h (8.9 cm)
Weight: 3.35 oz. (95 grams)
This signed milk jug from Kutch with the traditional coriander leaf and the beautifully designed. It is finely worked in répoussé, but its graceful organic shape of the spout is the true display of the smith’s art. The bottom of the milk jug is marked “SP.”
Cobra Handle Milk Jug
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 3 5/8 in. h (9.2 cm)
Weight: 4.86 oz. (137.9 grams)
Whimsical milk jug worked in traditional Kutch coriander motif, but with cobra handle.
Teapot
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 6 ¾ in. spout to handle, 5 ¼ in. tall (17.1 x 13.3 cm)
Weight: 17.89 oz. (507.2 grams)
Small, “bachelor’s” teapot in nicely done traditional Kutch coriander motif, with bird’s-mouth spout and flower finial.
Mustard Pot with Figural Cobra Handle
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 4 in. H, 2 3/4 in D. (10.6 H. cm, 7 cm D.)
Total Weight: 6.1 oz. (173 grams)
The
pot is heavily decorated with a swirling floral design and an abundance of Mawji's specialty—animals. A
warthog and a dog are depicted, one on either side, with a bird as a finial and a cobra as a handle.
Pepper Pots in Barrel Form and a Pair of Master Salts
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca. 1897
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Pepper Pots Dimensions: 1 5/8 in., diam., 2 1/2 in. h (5.2 cm)
Total Weight: 6.5 oz. (184 grams)
Master Salts Dimensions: 1 1/2 in. h., 2 1/4 in. d (5.2 cm. h X 5.7 d cm.)
Spoons 3 inches long (7.6 cm long)
Total Weight (without liner): 4.12 oz. (117 grams)
Pair of Swan Salts
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca. 1898
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 2 5/8 inches long (6.75 cm)
Total weight: 3.5 oz. (99 grams)
Total weight: 3.5 oz. (99 grams)
The underside of each swan is marked “OM” and “Bhuj,” but
also bears the initials “F.S.K.” Although the underside of a piece is not traditionally used for decorative monograms, it was often local Indian custom—not Colonial—to identify pieces of value with the owner’s initials.It should be noted that ornithologists have observed the migration of mute swans migrating to the northwestern Himalayan region of India in winter, but swans were not reported seen in more southerly regions, such as in Gujarat, where Oomersee Mawji lived and practiced his craft.1 Saraswati, however, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and the arts who is particularly revered in Nepal, is depicted throughout India as riding on a swan, and so the concept of her vehicle may have originated in the Nepalese Himalayas.
1. It should be noted that the Indian (Sanskrit) word for swan, hamsa, is also used for the Indian goose, making it more difficult to determine whether or not, from historical writing, swans might have been native to any area of India south of the Himalayas.
Silver Menu-Card Holder
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 2 3/8 in. length (6 cm)
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams)
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams)
Oomersee Mawji’s particular skill in depicting animals served him well here, and this silver boar was chosen as a subject because boar-hunting (or “pig-sticking”) was one of the favorite Colonial and maharaja’s sports. This particular boar is made very finely, showing each prickly hair of the animal’s coat. The base is decorated with a classical border, and the animal’s back is flat and unmarked since it would not be seen by the diner, facing, as it would have, toward the elaborate silver tazzas, centerpieces, and candelabra typical of the era.
Another identical place-setting of this silver is in the British Museum, 2011,3014.26
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M) ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Dimension: 12 1/4 in. x 9 1/4 in. (31.11 x 23.5 cm)
Weight: 15.88 oz. (450.19 grams)
This British Colonial silver tray is the work of the renowned Oomersee Mawji, court silversmith to the ruler of Kutch, ca. 1890. The oval tray has a pierced rim elaborately decorated in a foliate motif, and rises on four feet, with the maker’s mark underneath, “O.M Bhuj.”
Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee), ca. 1890
Bhuj, Kutch, India
Dimension: 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Weight: 9.2 oz. (260 grams)
Salvers were small plates, usually of silver, that were much in use in the nineteenth century, when they were used by servants to present something, such as a visitor’s calling card or a glass of cognac, to the master or mistress of the house. Interestingly, the word comes down to us from the custom, from an even earlier time, when a servant in a royal or noble house was responsible for tasting any food or drink before offering it to his master, as a precaution against the royal’s being poisoned by someone plotting against him. Indeed, the Latin root of the word “salver” is salvare, meaning “to save” (as in the word “salvation”).
The piece is such a silver salver—this one, once again, from silversmith Oomersee Mawji. The diameter of the salver is 8 inches, and the center medallion is circled by three pairs of predators attacking their prey, a favorite O.M subject, and a pierced border is outlined by another foliate border. The piece is marked O.M BHUJ, which would date it to about 1890. Provenance: Maria Luisa Loomis, CA.
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 12 1/2 in. diam. (31.75 cm)
Weight: 18 oz. (510.29 grams)
This is a handcrafted silver serving tray of Indian origin, which is ornamented with a beautifully and meticulously designed jungle-hunt scene, of a lion in pursuit of gazelles and deer through lush and dense foliage. The majestic predator’s eyes are ablaze, and his mouth is open as if roaring with the excitement of the hunt. Several other small animals, including a tiny hare, appear in the foliage, and the entire scene is worked against a rich satin background. The work is characteristic of Kutch silver of the 19th century. The center, with raised medallion, bears the monogram “WB,” which is expertly drawn and framed within a scrolling acanthus and twisted-rope border.
Melon-Shaped, Four-Piece Tea Service
Premjibhai, Son of Oomersee Mawji (Mawjee); (O.M.), ca. 1920
Baroda, Gujarat, India
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Tea Pot 5.5 in. or 14 cm in diameter
Total weight: 1937 grams or approx. 62.2 oz.
A highly polished four-piece tea service of melon form, with paneled spouts, ivory insulators, and acanthus-capped handles, signed “O.M•BARODA” at the bottom of each piece. The inclusion of “Baroda” with the “O.M” indicates that the piece was made by Premjibhai, a son of Oomersee Mawji. That the surface of this exceptionally fine tea service is unadorned is unusual for the work of the father or any of the sons, since they were all known for the intricately worked surfaces of their work. The younger Mawji was court silversmith to the Maharajah Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda, and it is for this maharajah that this tea service must have been created.
Candlesticks
Kutch, India, ca. 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 4 3/4 in. diam. at the base (12.06 cm),
10 1/2 in. h (26.7 cm)
Weight: 20.5 oz. (586 grams)
This is a beautiful pair of silver répoussé and chased candlesticks. The pattern of hand-worked flowers and intricate vines against a finely stippled background is typically Kutch. A glass hurricane or cylinder shade would have fit into the top channel, to shield the candle from drafts.
The set came from the estate of the family of Mary Hemenway, the daughter of the successful New York City merchant Thomas Tileston, and wife of the prominent Boston merchant Augustus Hemenway. Both men were involved in trade with the West Indies and the Far East. This set was most likely brought back on one of their merchant ships, sometime in the mid to late 1800s.
Kutch Pierced Silver Bowl
Kutch, India, ca. 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 5 3/8 inches (16.3 cm)
Dimensions: 5 3/8 inches (16.3 cm)
Weight: 13.7 oz. (388 grams)
Around the rim of the underside is the inscription “To Miss Torre, with M. Bonaji’s Best Wishes for a Happy New Year 1901,” and in the center are the finely engraved intertwined initials “RCT.”
This bowl is in the traditional Kutch coriander-leaf pattern, with a lion, a hare, and a hound appearing amid the swirling, foliate coriander. The work is fairly sophisticated, even if not quite up to the level of the work of Oomersee Mawji. What is unusual—and very decorative—is the pattern’s pierced openwork, which is very finely executed.
Around the rim of the underside is the inscription “To Miss Torre, with M. Bonaji’s Best Wishes for a Happy New Year 1901,” and in the center are the finely engraved intertwined initials “RCT.”
Scalloped-Edge Bowl
Kutch, India, ca. 1895
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Bowl 7 1/2 in. diam., 6 1/4 in. h
(19 cm diameter, 15.8 cm high)
Weight: 27.9 oz. (790 grams)
Scalloped-edge bowl on an attached pedestal, the bowl’s exterior is in répoussé and chased decoration, with finely executed peacocks, birds, and scrolling vines, the vine motif (typically Kutch) repeated on the pedestal.
Swirling Floral Bowl
Kutch, India, ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Bowl 4 1/2 in. diam., 2 1/4 in. h
Bowl 4 1/2 in. diam., 2 1/4 in. h
(11.43 cm diameter, 6.35 cm high)
Weight: 6 oz. (170.09 grams)
This superb Kutch bowl, in a classic circular form, brilliantly uses the répoussé technique, to “push out” and create a raised floral and swirling vine decoration from the back, and then refine it with chasing on the visible side. The designs are worked against a stippled background, which, as the silver oxidizes naturally, allows them to contrast their patina against the darker-colored background, accentuating the floral work perfectly. The piece has a series of elegant scrolling acanthus and streaming bead decorative borders and has never been monogrammed.
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Read more about “Silver from India,” from specific regions.
Read more about “Silver from India,” from specific regions.
