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In the rural parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, silver jewelry was very popular. The tribes of these regions who could not afford gold for a dowry created elaborate silver jewelry anklets, necklaces, nose-rings, and earrings. Other silver objects were created in the forms of jewel-encrusted ships, birds, sword hilts, and idols.
Western India, Rajasthan, ca. 1900
Sterling silver
Dimensions: 8 in. diam. (20.5 cm)
Weight: 175 oz. (5000 grams)
This is one of the pair of hollow anklets would have been part of a dowry set. The father of the bride who wore them must have been very wealthy indeed, to have been able to give his daughter such a set of adornments, each of which weighs an astonishing two and a half kilos!
Anklets, especially elaborately designed ones, are often part of dowry jewelry. Such wedding anklets, however, are often so heavy that no bride could walk around in them; they are worn only for the wedding ceremony, during which the bride is seated.
Anklets like this pair, however, are hollow, and light enough to be worn on an occasional basis, which they often are, in tribal areas of Gujarat, where this pair comes from. Their design is very contemporary, deriving its style from form, rather than from intricate decoration.
Although this anklet is in the Kutch style, it shares a common background with a pair of Rajasthani anklets also depicted on this site, in that the tribes in these regions were too poor to afford gold jewelry for dowries, and so created highly decorative silver. The anklet would have been one of a pair and was intended to adorn its wearer maybe only in a sitting position since it was too heavy to allow walking.
Anklet Bracelet
Gujarat, India, mid-20th century
Sterling silver
Diameter: 4 3/4 inch (12.64 cm)
Weight: 21.1 oz., (598 grams)
Weight: 21.1 oz., (598 grams)
Anklets, especially elaborately designed ones, are often part of dowry jewelry. Such wedding anklets, however, are often so heavy that no bride could walk around in them; they are worn only for the wedding ceremony, during which the bride is seated.Anklets like this pair, however, are hollow, and light enough to be worn on an occasional basis, which they often are, in tribal areas of Gujarat, where this pair comes from. Their design is very contemporary, deriving its style from form, rather than from intricate decoration.
Ceremonial Decorative Anklet in the Kutch style
Western India, Rajasthan, ca. 1900
Sterling silver
Dimensions: 5 1/4 in. diam. (13.5 cm)
Weight: 18.87 oz. (535.1 grams)
Shiv Mukhi-Lingam Mask
Dimensions:
Height: 12 ½ inches H x 7 ½ inches W (32 cm H x 19 cm W)
Weight: 15.34 oz. (435 gram)
A 19th-century repoussée mask (mukhi-lingam), meant to be a cover for a Shiva-lingam (a lingam being a Hindu phallic symbol found in Shiva temples). This piece, originating from Maharashtra (southwestern India), depicts the Hindu god Shiva, the supreme being within Shaivism, one of the major traditions in contemporary Hinduism. Shiva is known not only as the “destroyer”—of evil—but also as the creator (hence the phallic symbol) within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu.)
The mask is a representation of the face of the warrior Shiva, with wide-open eyes, set lips, and large mustache. It is elaborately ornamented with a stylized crown, and the earlobes are ornamented with cobra earrings.
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
What Is Pan?
Making and chewing pan is a longstanding Indian tradition, but what exactly is pan, and how do you make a betel pan? Pan is a customized mix of ingredients from the pandan, the box that holds such ingredients as areca nut, slaked lime (chunam), cardamom, saffron, cloves, sweeteners, and, usually, tobacco. The ingredients are combined according to individual taste and then folded into a betel leaf (a mild, somewhat addictive stimulant very popular in Asia) to make a “betel pan,” or “quid.” The tradition and habit of chewing pan is particularly predominant in India but exists in some other Asian countries as well.
In antiquity, various health benefits were ascribed to chewing pan, and pandans of various forms and designs appear in Mughal miniatures from the late 16th century onward. In courtly settings, the offering of pan marked the end of a good meal or a visit.
Today, although young people gather at market pan shops to enjoy the social aspects of chewing a pan and having a smoke together, the medical establishment warns that, like smoking cigarettes in the West, the practice is dangerous to one’s health. They are fighting an uphill battle, since the custom is both social and traditional, and chewing pan is as addictive as smoking cigarettes.
Silver Opium-Water Flask (Chuski)
The gadrooned body of the flask of compressed, globular form, and it is set on a splayed foot, with serpentine handle and spout. The screw stopper is decorated with foliate panels, and the foot is openwork, also with foliate motifs. The handle, spout, and stopper of the flask are surmounted by birds, and a stopper for the spout is attached with a chain. The base bears an engraved owner's inscription
Maharastra, India ca. 1860
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Height: 12 ½ inches H x 7 ½ inches W (32 cm H x 19 cm W)
Weight: 15.34 oz. (435 gram)
A 19th-century repoussée mask (mukhi-lingam), meant to be a cover for a Shiva-lingam (a lingam being a Hindu phallic symbol found in Shiva temples). This piece, originating from Maharashtra (southwestern India), depicts the Hindu god Shiva, the supreme being within Shaivism, one of the major traditions in contemporary Hinduism. Shiva is known not only as the “destroyer”—of evil—but also as the creator (hence the phallic symbol) within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu.)
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
Two Silver Pandan
Rajasthan/Malwa, India,
Smaller: 4 inches (10 cm)
Weight: 12.68 oz. (360 gram)
Rajasthan/Malwa, India,
ca.18th/19thCentury
Sterling Silver
Dimensions:
Larger: 4 ¾ inches (12 cm)
Weight: 14.85 oz. (421 gram)Smaller: 4 inches (10 cm)
Weight: 12.68 oz. (360 gram)
Both boxes are of the flower-shaped form, the “petals” divided into six heart-shaped compartments, each with a hinged opening, the form defining the boxes’ function of providing a selection of different ingredients. The larger box has six feet and is ornamented with lotus buds and finial. The smaller with three feet, ornamented with geese, also has a lotus design and a central lotus-bud finial. The smaller pandan is very similar to one in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (VAM 02672 I.S). London. Comparable spice boxes, with similar decorations and compartments, are published in Mughal Silver Magnificence (XVI-XIXth C), exhibition catalog, Charleroi, 1987, cat.238-241, p.159-160.
What Is Pan?
Pan affords users choices in making their individually preferred “recipes,” and the fragrance, taste, and colorful appearance of the pan ingredients are very seductive, in spite of the fact that habitual chewing of pan stains the teeth and mouth red.
Today, although young people gather at market pan shops to enjoy the social aspects of chewing a pan and having a smoke together, the medical establishment warns that, like smoking cigarettes in the West, the practice is dangerous to one’s health. They are fighting an uphill battle, since the custom is both social and traditional, and chewing pan is as addictive as smoking cigarettes.
Silver Opium-Water Flask (Chuski)
Gujarat or Rajasthan, 19th Century
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 5 5/8 inches high (14.2 cm)
Weight: 11 oz. (313 grams)
Dimension: 5 5/8 inches high (14.2 cm)
Weight: 11 oz. (313 grams)
The gadrooned body of the flask of compressed, globular form, and it is set on a splayed foot, with serpentine handle and spout. The screw stopper is decorated with foliate panels, and the foot is openwork, also with foliate motifs. The handle, spout, and stopper of the flask are surmounted by birds, and a stopper for the spout is attached with a chain. The base bears an engraved owner's inscription
The flask would have been used as a container for araq, or opium water, and offered as a pledge of friendship or a token of hospitality.
A parrot spirit animal is a message of celebration. It’s a happy expression of all the good things that are happening in your life, and the good things that you have yet to experience. The parrot symbolism is a reminder never to take these things for granted because you never know when they will be taken away from you.
Most of all, parrot meaning puts the focus on love and friendship. If there’s anything that you should always strive to have and share with others, that’s love and friendship. And what is better than sharing opium water to celebrate love and friendship?
For a similar silver chuski and a further discussion on the type of flask, see Mughal Silver Magnificence, XVI-XIXth century, Brussels, 1987, p.110, no, 162.
Provenance: Private Italian Collection.
Cast Silver Elephant
Mughal, Mysore, Mid 19th Century
Sterling Cast Silver, Parcel-Gilt, with Pinpricked Details
Sterling Cast Silver, Parcel-Gilt, with Pinpricked Details
Dimension: 3 5/8 inches high (9 cm)
Weight: 8.65 oz. (245 grams)
The original purpose of this piece is unknown, but the elephant was particularly revered in Southern and Central India, both as a working animal and a symbol of royalty. It may have been the toy of some princely child since there are other examples of toys made out of ivory or silver.
This appealing creature has been inscribed on the case with the initials "S.G.G." and "M.R.M."
This appealing creature has been inscribed on the case with the initials "S.G.G." and "M.R.M."
Provenance: Vincent Laloux, Brussels.
Exhibited: Musée d'Art et Histoire, Geneva, 1988; Pavalion des Arts, Paris, 1988.
Deccan or Central India, 18-19th Century
Parcel-Gilt Silver
Parcel-Gilt Silver
Dimension: 8 3/8 inches high (21 cm)
Weight: 29.67 oz. (841.13 grams)
The next question regards the purpose of this piece. The cylinder rising from the bird's body resembles a rosewater sprinkler or Fulani, but, although there is a screw-able finial shaped as a flowerhead to allow for the addition of liquid, there are no "sprinkler" holes on the top, since the seam on the beast is only a decorative element.
Provenance: C. Terlinden, London
Presentation Salver for the Prince of Wales Grenadiers
Bombay, Maharashtra, India. ca. 1903-1906
Sterling Silver
Bombay, Maharashtra, India. ca. 1903-1906
Sterling Silver
Diameter: 13 1-8 inch (32.3 cm)
Weight: 39.08 oz. (1,108 grams
Some of the finest and grandest examples of Indian colonial silverware were commissioned by British and colonial army regiments stationed in India. And so, it is with this piece, which features some of the finest chasing, repousse, and engraving work among Indian colonial silver that we have seen. The work is excellent and the item itself is unusually heavy for its size.
The salver features a broad rim filled with Indian figures astride caparisoned elephants separated by stylized kurtimukha masks, swirling foliage and tendrils, and four roundels engraved with regiment-related insignia, all against a tooled background.
The main figures in the central roundel seated on a pedestal throne represent Lord Krishna with his two favorite wives/queens Rukmini and Satyabhama, Lord Krishna has been depicted with four arms, two are draped around his wives and with the other two he is feeding a cow on each side, the cows are further flanked by a cowherd. In the outer circle, twelve figures are performing a Ras Lila, six figures represent Lord Krishna and the remaining six female figures may be identified as the other principal wives/queens of Lord Krishna. It should be noted that Lord Krishna had eight principal wives/queens.
Further, Lord Krishna's crown, the design of the pedestal throne, the manner in which the sari's of the eight principal wives/queens is draped along with their particular hairstyle and flowers supports our attribution of this silver salver to the Bombay School.
The work and motifs on the salver are typically hybrid for Bombay silverwork. Bombay was a city of domestic migrants and the local silversmithing fraternity were not exempted. The salver shows influence from Madras, Sri Lanka, and Kutch colonial silversmithing traditions.
The regiment became known as the 102nd Prince of Wales’ Own Grenadiers in 1903. In 1906, it became the 102nd King Edward’s Own Grenadiers, and in 1922, it became the 2nd Battalion, 4th Bombay Grenadiers. As the plate is engraved with the name and insignia for the Prince of Wales’ Own Grenadiers, then this plate must date between 1903 and 1906.
One of the four roundels has a crest for the Prince of Wales’ Own Grenadiers. The insignia which has a central figure of a Sphynx above the word ‘Egypt’, and a buckled strap with the motto ‘Malo Mori Quam Foedari’ (‘Death rather than disgrace’). Another roundel shows a rampant tiger surrounded by a buckled belt again engraved with the words ‘Malo Mori Quam Foedari’.
A further roundel has a family crest that comprises the crest of a pierced molet arising from a mural crown with a motto ‘Spes Mea In Deo’, (‘My hope is in God’). The motto is recorded for the Blewitt, Brooke, Dewhurst, Gaskell, Gillett, Goskar, Greaves, Guinness, Kirkwood, Lethbridge, Lewin, Roper, Saunders, Wainwright, and Ward families.
The final roundel is engraved with the overlapping personal initials of ‘FWBP’.
The 102nd Prince of Wales’s Own Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army that could trace its origins to 1796 when it was established as the 13th Battalion, Bombay Native Infantry. The Grenadiers was part of the Indian army and was sent to Egypt in 1801, to fight against Napoleon’s Egypt Campaign, hence the Sphinx being adopted as part of its insignia thereafter. In 1818, the regiment fought in the Maratha Wars. In 1840, it took part in the First Afghan War and the 1868 punitive Expedition to Abyssinia against the Ethiopian Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia. In 1880, it took part in the Battle of Maiwand during the Second Afghan War. It also took part in various battles during the First World War. In the Second World War, the regiment had roles in India, Burma, Malaya, and Dutch East Indies.
Decorative Dish, Poona
Poona, Maharashtra, India. ca. 1880
Sterling Silver
Poona, Maharashtra, India. ca. 1880
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 16 5/8 in. Diam. (42 cm)
Weight: 57.85 oz. (1,640 grams)
A late-19th-century Indian solid-silver dish of impressive size, highly-decorated and embossed with various figures of deities, and surrounded with bands of scrolling floral foliage, a plain inside border and a beaded outer border. The dish’s distinctive design is typical of the region of Poona, 120 miles southeast of Bombay, and occupied by the British from 1802 until Independence. At 200 ft. above sea level, Poona was the perfect military base, and India’s hot summers were made more bearable by the altitude there. Poona style closely resembles the silver commonly made in Madras and Burma, which is distinguished by having large, high-relief figures, often depicting the Avatara. On this plate, in the center medallion, Vishnu is seated under a canopy of the multi-head serpent (Sheshnaga), and Brahma is seated on a lotus springing from Vishnu’s navel. At this point, the iconography is somewhat confusing, because, here, Hanuman appears with Vishnu (at his left), whereas, typically, Hanuman is always portrayed next to Rama, not Vishnu. (Since Rama was an avatar of Vishnu, however, one could make the argument that Ram and Vishnu were one and the same.)
Poona silver is often confused with Burmese, but such elements as the wide bands of Kutchlike chasing and large beaded borders and plain bands are a sure indication that this piece is from Poona.The piece is not hallmarked, but a silver test shows it to be a 900+ silver standard). The two best-known silversmiths active in Poona were Hitapa Buchana and M.K Godbole, who are both known to have exhibited there since the 1900s. The quality of this dish indicates that it was undoubtedly made by a master silversmith. For a similar dish, see Indian Silver 1858-1947, R. T Wilkinson, p. 168.
Silver Frame, Poona
Poona, Maharashtra, India. ca. 1890
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 13 1/2 in. high (34.29 cm)
Dimension: 13 1/2 in. high (34.29 cm)
Weight: 23.7 oz. (672 grams)
Here is a silver picture frame, the top of which is adorned by a representation of a standing Dattatreya is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of Yoga in Hinduism. In many regions of India and Nepal, he is considered a deity. In Maharashtra and many parts of India, he is a syncretic deity, considered to be an avatar (incarnation) of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. His iconography varies regionally. In western Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, for example, he is typically shown with three heads and six hands, one head each for Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and one pair of hands holding the symbolic items associated with each member of the Trimurti: The jaapmaala and water pot of Brahma, the conch and sudarshana chakra (discus) of Vishnu, and the trishula (trident) and two-headed drum of Shiva. In paintings and some large carvings, he is surrounded by four dogs and a cow, the dogs are not symbols for the four Vedas but Duttaguru’s teaching of similitude and equality among all creatures especially animals, right from the pure and holy cow to the dog. The frame is further decorated with depictions of various other Hindu deities and animals and Marathi warriors.
One especially identifiable figure on the frame (at the bottom right) is Chatrapati Shivaji (re. 1674-1680 C.E.), an Indian warrior king and member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that was the genesis of the great Maratha Empire. Shivaji was well known for his strong religious beliefs, his warrior code of ethics, and his exemplary character. He was also recognized as a great national hero because of the part he played in India’s struggle for independence, and sculptures of the great man appear throughout the state of Maharastra. The international airport and a major museum in Bombay (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India) are named for him.
The bottom left of the frame is a portrait of Nana Fadnavis, (1742-1800) who was an influential minister and statesman of the Maratha Empire during the Peshwa administration. On the top right and left of the frame, portraits of two Pashwas are also illustrated.
Provenance: Collection of Ambassador and Mrs. Alexander Weddell, Richmond, Virginia, gifted to the Virginia House Museum.
Bombay Bowl
D. Chellaram, Bombay
Dimensions: 5 in. high x 8 in. diam.
(12.7 cm high x 20.3 diam.)
Dimensions: 5 in. high x 8 in. diam.
(12.7 cm high x 20.3 diam.)
Weight: 658 grams (21.15 troy oz.)
This large bowl is a conundrum. Were it not marked at all, every expert would agree that it was a Lucknow piece. The Lucknow style, of skillfully executed villagers, animals, and various hunting scenes, all set against a stippled landscapes, is unmistakable. Unmistakable too is the oversized coriander-leaf border around the bowl’s base. Traditionally, however, Lucknow pieces were marked on their undersides by depictions of animals, flowers, or birds, each one the mark of a particular individual silversmith.
This writer has not read any history of an Indian silversmith named Chellaram. All of that said, the bowl is clearly marked, on its underside:
D. CHELLARAM BOMBAY
D. CHELLARAM BOMBAY
Regardless of its mysterious origins, the bowl is an important piece, beautifully executed, and obviously created for an affluent patron. If any reader has more information either about Bombay silver or about Chellaram, the writer of this blog would be most interested.
A Pair of Sparrows
Western India, Gujarat, 19th century
Silver, heightened with gold wash, and set with rubies, lapis lazuli, and malachite
Silver, heightened with gold wash, and set with rubies, lapis lazuli, and malachite
Sparrow with spread wings
Size: 8 x 3 1/2 x 4 3/8 in.
(20.3 x 9 x 11 cm)
Weight: 9.46 oz. (268 grams)
Sparrow with closed wings
Size: 2 5/8H x 5 in.
(6.5H x 12.5 cm)
Weight: 4.3 oz. (122.2 grams)
Size: 8 x 3 1/2 x 4 3/8 in.
(20.3 x 9 x 11 cm)
Weight: 9.46 oz. (268 grams)
Sparrow with closed wings
Size: 2 5/8H x 5 in.
(6.5H x 12.5 cm)
Weight: 4.3 oz. (122.2 grams)
These two charming silver sparrows, one with wings spread and one with wings closed, has been decorated with a variety of jewels. The feathers are set with lapis lazuli; the shoulders—rendered in silver with a gold wash—edged with rubies, and the tail feathers decorated with malachite. Gold wash enhances the beak, legs, and feet.
The larger bird, standing with its head cocked to one side, has round alert eyes and carries in its beak a stem with two berries. The artist has perfectly captured the spry but fleeting nature of his subjects. Such objects serve as a testament to the ingenuity and technical skill with which luxury goods from India were crafted.
In a separate note, in wonderful coincidence, this collector acquired the two birds separately. The bird with spread wings was acquired from a New York dealer in April 2011; the bird with closed wings, from a small collector in Massachusetts in February 2016. The two birds, crafted by the same Gujarati silversmith, had been separated for, probably, more than a hundred years, but have now once more been united.
The larger bird, standing with its head cocked to one side, has round alert eyes and carries in its beak a stem with two berries. The artist has perfectly captured the spry but fleeting nature of his subjects. Such objects serve as a testament to the ingenuity and technical skill with which luxury goods from India were crafted.
In a separate note, in wonderful coincidence, this collector acquired the two birds separately. The bird with spread wings was acquired from a New York dealer in April 2011; the bird with closed wings, from a small collector in Massachusetts in February 2016. The two birds, crafted by the same Gujarati silversmith, had been separated for, probably, more than a hundred years, but have now once more been united.
Gold Foiled-blue Enameled on Silver Snuff Box
Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, ca. 1880
Gold Foiled-blue Enameled on Silver
Dimensions:
3 ¼ x 2 ½ x 1 1/8 inches
(8.2 x 6.3 x 2.7 cm)
3 ¼ x 2 ½ x 1 1/8 inches
(8.2 x 6.3 x 2.7 cm)
Weight: 4.4 oz. (25 gram)
Antique 19th-century engraved silver and gold-foiled, blue enamel, engraved snuffbox, the hinged cover and sides decorated with jungle hunting scenes.
The box features an exceptionally fine and rare technique called “Thewa”, typical of work from the ancient town of Pratapgarh, in Rajasthan. Invented in 1767 by a local goldsmith named Nathuni Sonewalla, this technique - which requires the highest level of skill - was passed down from father to son, and was safeguarded in secrecy by a few goldsmith families until the 20th century. The box is a type of 19th-century luxury item that was made to appeal to European taste, which category has had a recent revival in popularity. The fine quality of this particular piece, comparable to some examples in the Victoria & Albert Museum, suggests a date between 1860 and 1900. For other examples, see bracelet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession No. 60.159) - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451629, and in Musée des Arts Decotaifs, Paris (Inv. No. 36128).
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
References: Untracht, O., Traditional Jewelry of India, Thames & Hudson, 1997.
Mughal Silver Magnificence, XVI-XIXth Century, Antalga, Brussels, 1987, p.37, no.10.
The box features an exceptionally fine and rare technique called “Thewa”, typical of work from the ancient town of Pratapgarh, in Rajasthan. Invented in 1767 by a local goldsmith named Nathuni Sonewalla, this technique - which requires the highest level of skill - was passed down from father to son, and was safeguarded in secrecy by a few goldsmith families until the 20th century. The box is a type of 19th-century luxury item that was made to appeal to European taste, which category has had a recent revival in popularity. The fine quality of this particular piece, comparable to some examples in the Victoria & Albert Museum, suggests a date between 1860 and 1900. For other examples, see bracelet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession No. 60.159) - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451629, and in Musée des Arts Decotaifs, Paris (Inv. No. 36128).Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
References: Untracht, O., Traditional Jewelry of India, Thames & Hudson, 1997.
Huqqah and Rosewater Sprinkler
Huqqah:
Dimensions: 6 ¾ in. tall, 6 in. diam. (17.15 cm tall, 15.24 cm diam.)
Weight: 38.28 oz. (1085 gram)
Dimensions: 6 ¾ in. tall, 6 in. diam. (17.15 cm tall, 15.24 cm diam.)
Weight: 38.28 oz. (1085 gram)
Rosewater sprinkler:
Dimensions: 8 ½ in. tall, 5 3/8 in. diam. (21.6 cm tall, 13.65 cm diam.)
Weight 15.54 oz. (440.7 gram)
This rosewater sprinkler (which unfortunately is lacking its top) bears a fluted design circling its base twice, separated by a fanciful sort of coriander-leaf border. Its top is encircled by eight four-petaled flowers, and on its column is a small ring, obviously intended to have held a chain attached to a lid. The design is simple, and the piece is unsigned. Like the huqqah, it is formerly from the Doris Weiner collection.
A Banglore Claret Jug
C. Krishna Chetti, ca. 1890
Bangalore, India
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 11 inches tall (28 cm)
Weight: 23 oz. (652 grams)
This claret jug has a finial that is a snake-charmer playing a pungi, a flute-like instrument made from a gourd, for the attention of a cobra that forms the handle. Midway, it is circled by medallions enclosing different deities, and its the base is a coriander-leaf border. The remainder of the body of the piece is highly polished, like its contemporary Colonial pieces, a design choice that highlights the repousée work.
The piece is unusual by virtue of its finely worked design and for its having come from Bangalore, not so widely known as Kashmir, Kutch, Madras, and Lucknow as a region of silversmiths. The piece is late, 1905, and marked C. Krishna Chetti,a silversmith whose work was exhibited in Delhi in 1903 and in Lahore in 1909. Chetti adopted many of the themes of the Calcutta silversmiths, but he has worked them more finely than did many of the Calcutta smiths.
Parsi (Zoroastrian) Silver Muktad Vase
Bombay or Poona, India, 19th Century
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 10 7/8 inches H (27.5 cm)
Weight: 12 oz. (451 grams)
This extraordinary vase depicts the winged Parsi (Zoroastrian) deity Ahura Mazda, along with attending Parsi priests depicted at the sacred fire.
Three Parsi Silver Beakers
Bombay, India, 19th Century
Sterling Silver
Heights: 2 5/8 – 3 inches (6.4 cm-7.5 cm)
Combined weight: 10.44 oz. (296 grams)
These three beakers are of elongated, spherical form, each supported by three small, cabriole legs. Representations of the winged Parsi deity Ahura Mazda and of the sacred fire all refer to Parsi/Zoroastrian iconography. The beakers were likely used in a funeral ritual, in which
Parsis of India and Pakistan are a distinct but exceptionally successful commercial minority. By the nineteenth century, Bombay Parsi families dominated the city's commercial sector, particularly in spinning and dyeing and in banking. By 1855, about half of the island of Bombay was owned by Parsi families, but perhaps the most prominent Parsi family today is Tatas, founders, and owners of India's prominent conglomerate the Tata Group. Although, as a community, the Parsis are gradually diminishing–there are only about 125,000 remaining worldwide today, about 80,000 in Bombay–there remain many vestiges of their contribution to commerce in South and East Asia.
Large Cup with a Hunting Scene
Without
the hallmark of ‘Bombay’ on this cup, considering the high relief of repoussé
work for the high drama and action of a hunting scene and the treatment of
trees, one would assume that this silver is from Lucknow. There was no style of
silversmithing of Bombay. As silversmiths from other regions such as Kutch and Lucknow, migrated to this cosmopolitan business center of India for work, ‘Sonars’ from Bombay were heavily influenced by their style of work.
The finial of the cup’s cover depicts a horseman hunting a boar with a spear. The cartouche ‘shield’ is framed on two sides by a royal horse and a lion and unmarked. The center ream of the cup is heavily decorated with coriander leaves and grape wine. Some Bombay silver objects were marked as ‘T.100 to T.85, indicating the purity of the silver. This cup is marked T.90.
Bombay, India, ca.1880-1890
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 22 inches high (55.88 cm)
Weight: 81 oz. (2,296 grams)
silversmithing of Bombay. As silversmiths from other regions such as Kutch and Lucknow, migrated to this cosmopolitan business center of India for work, ‘Sonars’ from Bombay were heavily influenced by their style of work.
The finial of the cup’s cover depicts a horseman hunting a boar with a spear. The cartouche ‘shield’ is framed on two sides by a royal horse and a lion and unmarked. The center ream of the cup is heavily decorated with coriander leaves and grape wine. Some Bombay silver objects were marked as ‘T.100 to T.85, indicating the purity of the silver. This cup is marked T.90.
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques, London, UK.
Handled Footed Waiter Tray of
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy
Edward and John Barnard (EB & JB) 1862
Edward and John Barnard (EB & JB) 1862
Sterling Silver
Dimension: 31 1/2 inches (80 cm)
Weight: 232 oz. (6,780 grams)
Exceptional English Sterling Silver 1862 Handled Footed Waiter Tray. The impressive silver tray has a shaped deep rim, finely cast handles and is raised on four scrolled shell-form feet. The tray is decorated with the elaborate family crest representing the family of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, 1st Baronet (1783-1859). The ornate crest has an engraved acanthus designed border that is further embellished with a knight’s head, bumblebees and sun over the mountain with palm trees topped with a peacock. Beneath the crest is the period script monogram R.J.J. Hallmarked for London 1862, makers mark EB & JB for Edward and John Barnard.
Sri Lanka Tea Service
Shri Lanka, ca. 1880
Sterling silver
Dimensions:
Tray: 18 1/2 in. x 10 3/4 in. x 1 in. (47 x 27.3 x 2.5 cm)
Tray: 18 1/2 in. x 10 3/4 in. x 1 in. (47 x 27.3 x 2.5 cm)
Teapot: 6 in. h by 8 1/2 in. w (15.24 x 21.59 cm)
Total weight: 63 oz. (1,786 Gram)
Sri Lanka, late-19th– early-20th cent.
Sterling silver
Dimension: 10 3/8 inches, (26.4 cm)
Weight: 12.5 oz. (354.5 grams)
This iconography of this répoussée silver serving plate is Sri Lankan. Its decorative bands echo the style of moonstones, which were pieces of stone, usually semicircular, featured at the base of steps leading to most buildings of Buddhist architecture. The moonstone eventually evolved from a blank stone to one that included a multitude of carved decorations, with the highest level of creative decoration coming toward the end of the Anuradhapura Era. Here, the semicircular bands of decorative motifs are doubled to form a circle.
The underside of the plate bears the mark “SS,” which likely stands for “sterling silver,” but with which this writer is unfamiliar, and it might also be some other, unknown, maker’s mark.
KARACHI SILVER
The regional name Kutch derives from the Sanskrit Kachbo, the region’s shape having been fancifully compared to a tortoise. Karachi (before Partition, India, now Pakistan) had had no tradition of silversmithing before 1899. In that year, however, the often–drought-prone Kutch region of Gujarat was stricken by the particularly fierce conditions of the Chapano drought and famine that lasted from 1899–1902, with the result that many in the region fled. Those who had a trade or a craft found themselves drawn to the city of Karachi, some 200 miles to the northwest, and so it came to be that the silver from Karachi bears a marked Kutch influence. In terms of its background motif, however, Karachi silver uses a circular flower with six distinct petals, rather than the classic Kutch background flowers that have either an arched top or a circular pattern of undifferentiated petals. In addition, Karachi silver, like that of Kutch, often depicts animals, but Karachi animals are usually shown in a landscape vignette, as in silver from Calcutta, rather than in isolation against the scrolling foliate motif typical of Kutch.
Bhuj to Karachi: The migration of Design
The photo on the left, above, shows a design (by Ragavaji Mawji of Bhuj, Kutch) for a bamboo-themed silver tray. The photo on the right shows a bamboo-design tray from our collection, from Karachi. A third photo, not shown, by Wilkinson (Indian Silver 1858-1947) is of a near-identical bamboo-themed tray, from 1910 (p. 91, fig. 142), hallmarked “J. Manikrai,” a silversmith who worked in Karachi. . . .
After the Opium Wars (the first was 1839–42; the second, 1856–60), British interest in Chinese design began to grow, particularly since the Treaty of Nanjing, signed in 1842, had ceded Hong Kong to the British. The British “back home” were eagerly embracing bamboo, willow, and dragon themes as representative of their new conquest, and, before long, Colonial Indian silversmiths too began to cater to the fashion for Chinese design. That much is clear, but how might the nearly identical design have migrated from Bhuj to Karachi? There are a number of possibilities.
The Paris Exhibition: In the 1870s and 1880s, universal exhibitions of the design were held in Paris. Handicrafts from different regions of the world were assembled in one place. Might silversmiths from different regions of India have attended these exhibitions and exchanged ideas? What other possibilities existed?
A Drought and a Migration: In 1897-98, the Bhuj silversmithing area of India was devastated, first, by a two-year famine, then by drought, bringing death and despair to the local population. Those who could—silversmiths among them—migrated, some to Karachi, 200 miles north of Bhuj.
Silver for a Delhi Durbar: A series of Delhi durbars (royal courts or mass assemblies to mark the royal succession of a British sovereign as emperor or empress of India) were held at Coronation Park, in Delhi—one in 1877, one in 1903, and one in 1911. Elaborate preparations were made for the dignitaries who would be attending, and certainly, there must have been silver serving and presentation pieces crafted for the occasions, bringing together smiths from different parts of India.
Extremely Fine Footed Serving Tray
Karachi, ca. 1900
Sterling silver
Dimensions:
20 1/2 in. l. (52 cm)
20 1/2 in. l. (52 cm)
11 1/2 in. w. (32 cm)
Weight: 43.39 oz. (1230 grams)
Circa 1900. Rectangular octagonal shape with bamboo-motif border and handles. Although this piece is without doubt from Karachi (and, indeed, is extremely similar to a Karachi piece marked “J. Manikrai,” in Wilkinson’s Indian Silver 1858-1947), it is interesting to note its bamboo border, which was a style often used in Bombay. Wilkinson says of the Bombay bamboo design, that it was: “. . . an imitation of the designs found on Chinese export silver from Canton and Hong Kong. This ‘bamboo’ decoration was applied to tea sets, trays, and bowls. . . .”
The bamboo border aside, this tray has a much more typically Kutchi foliate rim, within which are depicted hunting scenes in a landscape: a camel ridden by a turbanned rider bearing a rifle; lions, deer, and a boar in various combat or attack vignettes; and a small herd of elephants, in quite a remarkable perspective, at a watering hole.
This tray, though unsigned bears work of the highest caliber, and was quite possibly also made by J. Manikrai. The inscription on the center cartouche is:
INDIA
[SIC]
1906 –1916
The central monogram's entwined letters appear to be some sequence of “SIC,” and the tray was apparently a presentation piece, given to someone for years of service as inscribed.
Sweetmeats Basket with Handle
Karachi, ca. 1900
Sterling silver
Dimension: 8 1/4 in. d. (21 cm)
Weight: 10.63 oz. (301 grams)
The basket, on ball feet, has within its center a lion attacking some sort of deer or horned animal, set against a landscape of palm and foliate trees. Above and below the mortal combat scene are two rabbits or hares, disproportionately large in comparison to the handles other two animals. All the animals, however, regardless of proportion, are rendered in magnificent detail, even including indications of musculature and fur.
Within the piece’s pierced rim are four additional hunting scenes, a cheetah attacking a boar, a lion attacking a water buffalo, an elephant defending itself against a lion, and another lion attacking a deer. The vine-scrolled background is very like Kutch, for the reasons explained above, regarding the migration of many Kutch silversmiths to Karachi.
Pair of Pierced Oval Nut Dishes
Karachi, ca. 1900
Sterling silver
5 in. h. (12.8 cm)
Weight (2): 7.13 oz. (202 grams)
This pair of dishes, somewhat baroque in form and with ball feet, has a foliate pattern, though typically Kutchi, that is pierced in the manner of many Karachi pieces. Although the design concept is somewhat unremarkable, the répoussé work and chasing are of very high quality. Marked “CGK” and “95” for purity.
Small, Crescent-From Bowl
Manikrai, ca. 1899
Karachi
Sterling Silver
Karachi
Sterling Silver
Dimensions: 6 H x 5 ¼ inches W (15.3 H x 13.4 cm W)
Weight: 5.65 oz. (160 grams)
Weight: 5.65 oz. (160 grams)
This delightful small bowl draws upon the ancient Islamic crescent form for its design. Its typically Kutch foliage pattern is masterfully worked, and its whimsical animal feet bring an additional fairytale quality to the piece, which is hallmarked P. Manikrai, the silversmith formerly of Kutch, later of Karachi, Pakistan.∗ (Manikrai was awarded a silver medal at the Indian Art Exhibition in Lahore in 1909.)
The original design of this silver was done by Oomersee Mawji of Bhuj. In 1897-98 during the drought in Bhuj silversmithing was devastated and migrated some to Karachi, 200 miles north of Bhuj. Manikrai was among these silversmiths. He carried some of the Oomersee's designs and continued his tradecraft in Karachi. This silver is one of the examples of such designs.
∗ Manikrai was not alone in having moved from Kutch to Karachi. A number of other Kutch silversmiths also moved from Kutch, where their signature foliage design was developed, to Karachi, and that explains the migration of the design pattern.
Burmese Ramayana Bowl
Dimension: 6 x 3 3/8 inches (15 x 8.5 cm)
Weight: 12.8 oz. (363 grams)
Répoussé and chased silver bowl, with Hindu deities and foliage in scenes from the Hindu epic The Ramayana. The processions and scenes of music and dance are typical of the “swami silver” that are depicted in Madras silver, but that are also used in Burmese silver. The figures are quite finely done, showing a sophisticated knowledge of anatomy and a high level of execution. The piece is not hallmarked, but tests over 800 for silver purity. It is very similar to a tea caddy in the possession of the previous owner, which was stamped, “Coomses Company Ltd Silversmiths Rangoon,” [Burma] and was quite possibly produced in the same workshop.
For a more in-depth understanding of Burmese silver, we highly recommend the Web site http://burmesesilver.blogspot.co.uk/.
Provenance: Pushkin Antiques Ltd. London, UK.
For a more in-depth understanding of Burmese silver, we highly recommend the Web site http://burmesesilver.blogspot.co.uk/.
