Inventory no.: 2165

Lucknow Indian Silver Tea Set

SOLD

Three-Piece Silver Tea Set & Tray

Lucknow, India

circa 1900

height of teapot: 15.4cm, length of teapot: 29cm, length of tray: 58cm, height of tray: 4cm, weight of teapot: 716g, weight of tray: 1,507g, combined weight of set: 2,935g

This impressive, larger-than-usual Indian silver tea service is from Lucknow and is decorated in what is known as the ‘hunting pattern’. Each piece is of high-grade, solid silver and has been elaborately chased with animal hunt scenes within scrolling foliate and floral borders that are inspired by the motifs employed on Kutch silverwork. The work is both fine and naive in style in keeping with Lucknow cartoon-like depictions of hunting scenes.

The set comprises a large, spherical teapot, a spherical creamer with a lid, a spherical sugar bowl with a lid, and a large footed tray.

The teapot, creamer and sugar bowl each have a domed, ring foot, central friezes chased with deer, lions, elephants and other animals amid trees and shrubbery. The teapot also is decorated with a mahout atop an elephant. Each has a lid topped with a final that comprises a hawk with open wings perched on three silver spheres. The teapot’s handle is well decorated with a palm tree and other trees that run its length, and incorporates two original ivory insulators.

The tray is particularly impressive. It is oblong, sits on four relatively high feet, and has a wide, pierced, scrolling foliate border. The interior comprises a wide border of particularly finely executed animal hunt scenes including elephants and camels with riders amid trees and before mountains. A central panel is in the Kutch-style foliate pattern mirrored on the borders and lids of the remainder of the set.

Silver often is difficult to adequately photographs and the photographs here do not quite capture the presence and quality of this set. The set is in fine condition and is without dents or splits.

References

Dehejia, V.,

Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj, Mapin, 2008.

Provenance

UK art market

Inventory no.: 2165

SOLD