Bonhams 1793 : A silver-gilt presentation Trophy and Cover Kutch, circa 1890(2)

on a spreading domed circular foot, the body of squat bulbous form, inward sloping shoulder rising to everted rim with overhanging section with uninscribed shield, pair of handles in the form of snakes with coiled tails, detachable domed lid terminating in a bud-shaped finial, trophy and cover profusely decorated with elegant scrolling foliage
44 cm. high (with cover); 1892g.(2)

Estimate:

£8,000 - 12,000
€9,400 - 14,000
US$ 12,000 - 18,000

Footnotes

Provenance:
By repute, given to Lady Wynford by His Highness the Maharao of Kutch.
Purchased from the private collection of Wynyard Wilkinson in 2008.

Published:
Indar Pasricha, Reflecting Power, Three Schools of Indian Silver, London, July 2-12, 2008.

The silverwork of Kutch was by far the most admired and sought after of all Indian silverwork during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, both in India and abroad. The distinctive Kutchi scrolling foliage was so successful a design that it was being copied not only in other silver centres of India but also in Europe and in the United States of America. One of the reasons for this success was the enormous effort made by the Maharaos of Kutch to support the silversmiths' trade and to ensure that Kutch silverware was represented at international exhibitions. In addition, the Maharaos gave Kutch silver as presents on ceremonial occasions.
See W. Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858 - 1947, London 1999, pp. 67-68.
This trophy, with its unmarked shield intended for an inscription, was probably commissioned to be presented at an important occasion.

Category: Islamic and Oriental Art / Islamic and Indian Art

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