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Tea Caddy, Silver, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, North-Eastern India, ca. 1890.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

This is a silver tea ware with a beautiful bulbous body that tapers subtly towards the top, culminating in a flat, attachable lid. Its overall globular form is reminiscent of exquisite tea ware or perhaps a luxurious storage pot, indicative of its utilitarian yet decorative nature. Employing the technique of repoussé, the surface of the container is adorned with intricate raised reliefs that have been meticulously formed by hammering from the reverse side, resulting in a tactile and visually engaging design. The body is segmented into several decorative panels, each one narrating a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, with artistically rendered motifs that include flowering trees, delicate vines and lush foliage.

 

It is interspersed among various animals such as elephants, deer, rabbits, tigers and dogs, each delicately integrated into the composition. Fish motifs, artistically rendered and arranged around the upper band of the container, serve both decorative and functional purposes as they also function as sculpted feet, providing stability and a touch of whimsy to the piece. Some panels feature huts, which evoke a sense of rural or pastoral life unique to the region. Notably, the artefact is crowned with a richly detailed finial in the form of a standing elephant, a motif that is reminiscent of Lucknow’s silverware artistry.

 

Lucknow and its neighbouring Northern India areas, have a long and rich tradition of silversmithing that dates back to the 10th century, significantly influenced by Islamic culture. From 1858 onwards, there was a marked increase in the production of Indian-style silver objects shaped specifically in European styles, with exceptional craftsmanship evident in pieces created

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

 

Good Condition with minor wear, light scratches.

 

Dimension

 

 

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.Harish K. Patel and Veronica J. McDavid, “Lucknow,” Indian Silver during the Raj: Lucknow, Silver from India 1850–1920 (blog), accessed August 26, 2025, Silver from India 1850–1920.

 

2.Vidya Dehejia, Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj (Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2008).

 

3.Stephen Markel, Mughal and Early Modern Metalware from South Asia at LACMA: An Online Scholarly Catalogue (Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2020), accessed August, 26, 2025, https://archive.org/details/mughal-metalware.

 

4.Pushkin’s, Indian Silver – History & Silversmiths, Pushkin’s (London), accessed August 26, 2025, https://pushkins.com/indian-silver-full-article

 

5.Shax Riegler, “Indian Silver for the Raj,” The Magazine ANTIQUES, February 1, 2009 (October 2008 issue), in Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj exhibition at Columbia University, accessed August 26, 2025, The Magazine ANTIQUES.

 

6.Harish K. Patel and Veronica J. McDavid, “Lucknow,” Indian Silver during the Raj: Lucknow, Silver from India 1850–1920 (blog), accessed August 26, 2025, Silver from India 1850–1920.

 

 

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