Kashmir Silver Beaker & Box, Inscribed ‘from the Prince of Wales’

This silver beaker is finely engraved in a manner that is typically Kashmiri silverwork of the period. But the provenance is what makes the beaker particularly special, as is the presence of its original red leather case with a blue satin lining, which is in near-perfect condition.

The base of the beaker is engraved with the words ‘Presented to Sir Charles Hall by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Xmas 1885’.

The then Prince of Wales became King Edward VII on the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.

And Sir Charles Hall (1843-1900) was an eminent barrister was was appointed by the Prince of Wales in 1877 as attorney-general. He was a great friend of both the Prince and his wife.

The (UK) Royal Collection has a presentation tortoiseshell box and cover given by Sir Charles Hall in 1885 to the Prince of Wales. It seems likely that the beaker here, going in the other direction, was the reciprocal gift.

The use of ‘Xmas’ on the base instead of ‘Christmas’ seems surprisingly colloquial today, however, the Use of Xmas dates to the 16th century. Rather than an informal abbreviation, the ‘X’ actually represents the Greek letter chi (X), which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ. Early Christians used ‘XP’ (chi-rho) as a secret symbol for Christ. Scribes later shortened this to ‘X’ to save space in handwritten texts.

The beaker, with tapering sides, is engraved with what has become known as the ‘shawl’ pattern, infilled with flower and fine leaf motifs based on the coriander plant.

The interior has been gilded.

Overall, this is an unusually special item – for the important provenance, the rare, original case, and the date which helps to date this type of colonial silverwork.