Indian Silver Repoussé Table, around 1900/20
A magnificent large Indian elephant table dating from around 1900⁄20, executed in repoussé silver on wood.
This elephant table was most likely produced in the important silver center of Cutch, with its two centers Bhuj and Karachi in northwestern India. Presumably made for a princely household, the table is richly adorned with floral and foliate decorations typical of works produced in the silver center of Cutch. The elegant oval form of the table is supported at both ends by splendid half-sculptural elephants. The two half-sculptural elephants stand on ornamentally and florally decorated bases and are lavishly embellished.
The oval tabletop is made of fine white onyx. At its center is an inset, gold-mounted diamond lozenge of approximately 1.5 – 2.5 carats.
A rare Indian elephant table with an incredibly beautiful presence, likely made for an important household. A piece of art that enchants any interior with the exotic flair of India …
Historical Background:
As early as the period of Mughal rule (1526 – 1707), beautiful furnishings in repoussé silver appeared in India.
British, French, Portuguese, and Dutch explorers who came to India found hardly any seating furniture or tables, as all activities such as cooking and eating were traditionally carried out while sitting on the floor. As a result, these explorers soon introduced European furniture designs to the Indian subcontinent, leading to a fusion of European styles with Indian manufacturing techniques and the creation of wonderful pieces of furniture in an Indo-European style.
With the onset of British colonization of the subcontinent in the 19th century, so-called Anglo-Indian furniture emerged, lavishly clad in silver and gold using the repoussé technique. From 1858 onward, the Indian subcontinent also encompassed the countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma. During the British colonial period, which ended in 1947 with India’s independence, Queen Victoria also held the title Empress of India. During this time, Indian silversmiths’ works found new admirers in Europe and America and entered the homes and residences of elite society as exotic decorative furnishings.
Prominent firms such as Liberty & Co. in London and Elkington & Co. in Birmingham imported Indian silver on a large scale for the British and European markets, while also producing silver objects in the Indian style in their own workshops. Alongside wealthy European households, Indian princes and maharajas were the principal patrons of such elaborately crafted pieces of furniture. Special significance is also attached to the fact that in Hindu scriptures silver has long been regarded — and continues to be regarded — as purifying and pure.
In Hinduism, silver was also primarily used for religious purposes. Beyond its use for religious objects, silver was employed in the creation of sumptuous jewelry reflecting power and wealth. Another interesting aspect is the fact that polished silver reflected, for Indians, the color of moonlight (Chandni), from which the word Chandi (silver) is derived. The silver fineness of Indian silverwork is generally exceptionally high, as these art objects are extremely finely crafted and richly decorated, requiring very soft silver for their execution.
It is also noteworthy that there were various centers for the production of silver objects in India, each with its own decorative vocabulary and techniques. As a result, silver objects can often be attributed to specific silver centers despite the absence of maker’s marks.
Some of the most important silver centers in India:
Burma (present-day Myanmar) – with the center Rangoon, known for scenes from the Jataka epics and figures from the world of deities.
Calcutta and the province of Bengal – known for scenes of rural life on silver objects, combined with bamboo decoration as well as European motifs.
Cutch, with the centers Bhuj and Karachi in northwestern India – known for floral patterns as well as animal motifs featuring elephants, birds, etc.
From Bhuj, Liberty and Elkington successfully imported silver objects to England around 1900.
Lucknow, northern India – known for depictions of the Indian jungle with animals, people, and bamboo decoration.
Kashmir – known for the so-called shawl pattern, also found on the famous Kashmir shawls.
Madras, southern India – known for depictions of deities on large silver objects.
Bombay – particularly renowned for its finely and naturalistically rendered animal representations.
Manufacturing Techniques:
Repoussé:
Refers to the technique of hammering metal from the reverse side using punches and a hammer. This locally forms the silver outward, creating the motifs on the front of the object, also known as low relief.
Chasing:
Refers to the technique of working from the front of the object. This complementary technique is used to refine and shape the details of the relief created by repoussé. In this process, no silver is removed from the surface; it is only shaped.
