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Cannon Shaped Tinder Tube, Silver, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, ca 1850-1860.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

The present artefact closely resembles a tinder tube. Traditionally, tinder tubes were designed to hold a length of flammable rope or cloth, used to ignite cannon fuses. This nineteenth-century specimen, however, was almost certainly intended for more genteel use—passed around after dinner to light cigars. This piece originates from Trichinopoly (modern Tiruchirappalli). The region developed a highly distinctive silverworking tradition, renowned for its delicacy and intricacy.

 

Formally, the object exhibits a slender cylindrical body that tapers gently at either end, balancing portability with elegance. Its surface is enveloped in exuberant repoussé work of extraordinary finesse. This metalworking technique involves intricately hammering or pressing the reverse side of a thin metal sheet, thereby creating raised designs on the front surface. The decoration consists of scrolling foliage, along with fluid plumage of birds, animated with rhythmic vitality.

 

As the tube narrows towards the base, it flares slightly at the mouth, which is elegantly encircled by a decorative border of engraved acanthus leaves. A particularly striking element of this piece is the extending short arms terminating in loops. These elements serve a dual purpose: they act as decorative flourishes while also functioning as anchors for a suspended chain.

 

Hence, silver objects from Trichinopoly in the early nineteenth century, workshops catered to male East India Company officials and military personnel, creating portable items like jewellery,

 

 

Provenance

 

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

 

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

 

Literature Comparison

 

1.Antique Indian Silver Chatelaine Hanger, Trichinopoly, c. 1880, Joseph Cohen Antiques, accessed September 7, 2025, https://www.josephcohenantiques.com/products/antique-indian-silver-chatelaine-hanger-temple-style-trichinopoly-tiruchirappalli-india-c-1880.

 

2.George E. Gee, The Silversmith’s Handbook: Containing Full Instructions for the Alloying and Working of Silver (London: Crosby Lockwood & Son, 1921).

 

3.Vidya Dehejia, Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj (Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 2008).

 

4.Trichinopoly Silver Tinder Tube for the 1862 International Exhibition, London, Michael Backman Ltd, accessed September 7, 2025, https://www.michaelbackmanltd.com/object/trichinopoly-silver/.

 

5.Antique Indian Silver Chatelaine Hanger, Trichinopoly, c. 1880, Joseph Cohen Antiques, accessed September 7, 2025, https://www.josephcohenantiques.com/products/antique-indian-silver-chatelaine-hanger-temple-style-trichinopoly-tiruchirappalli-india-c-1880.

 

 

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