ANTIQUE 19thC INDIAN KUTCH SOLID SILVER TEA SET ON TRAY, OOMERSI MAWJI c.1890
19th Century Indian (Kutch) silver three-piece tea set on tray, comprising of a teapot, sugar bowl, cream jug and tray, each piece is profusely and beautifully repousse' decorated with scrolling foliage and flowers on a tooled ground, depicting various wild animals, such as; lions, elephants, boars, wild dogs and antelopes, mounted with branch shape handles, each entwined with a snake, the teapot mounted with an elephant head shaped spout and elephant finial.
Hallmarked O,M Bhuj, (Oomersi Mawji), tested silver (900+ standard).
Reference Number: A7586
DESCRIPTION
Antique late-19th Century Indian (Kutch) solid silver three-piece tea set on tray, comprising of a teapot, sugar bowl, cream jug and tray, each piece is profusely and beautifully repousse' decorated with scrolling foliage and flowers on a tooled ground, depicting various wild animals, such as; lions, elephants, boars, wild dogs and antelopes, mounted with branch shape handles, each entwined with a snake, the teapot mounted with an elephant head shaped spout and elephant finial. The tray engraved with a presentation; 'In loving appreciation of her counsel help and sympathy, during her visit among them Oct 1920- Oct 1921, presented by the missionary women of the Methodist episcopal church in India and Burma to miss Ellam Watson'
Hallmarked O,M Bhuj, (Oomersi Mawji), tested silver (900+ standard).
Oomersi Mawji is undoubtedly the most celebrated Indian silversmith of all times. The inventiveness and the spotless quality of his works had no rivals in Kutch and his pieces are still sought after worldwide.
Oomersi Mawji was born in Gujarat. Son of a cobbler, he started his career specialising in leather engravings. Soon after 1858 he became a silversmith and his fame rose very quickly: in 1860s he was already court silversmith to the Maharaos of Kutch and the Maharajas of Baroda, two of the most important Indian royal courts. "Working the silver with ingenious skill and patience, Oomersi Mawji and his sons raised the quality of decoration on Cutch silver to an art form" (Wynyard R. T. Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858 - 1947: Silver from the Indian Sub-continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms, London, 1999, p. 69). The firm’s very high quality silver pieces, often featuring witty and amusing details, became soon very much appreciated overseas, selling through the two branches of Calcutta and Bombay.
In 1878 Oomersi Mawji and his sons participated to the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Their fame grew worldwide and their artworks became very expensive. In London, the brand was retailed by Liberty & Co. and Proctor & Co. When the father died, around 1890 ca., his sons took over the business, which definitely ceased activity around 1930. Artworks manufactured by Oomersi Mawji are nowadays part of the collections of international museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
CONDITION
In Great Condition - No Damage.
SIZE
TEAPOT
Height: 14cm
Width: 26 x 15cm
SUGAR BOWL
Height: 10cm
Width: 17 x 12cm
CREAM JUG
Height: 9cm
Width: 12 x 9cm
TRAY
Height: 4cm
Width: 49 x 31cm
Combined Weight: 2555g