Antique 20th Century Indian Calcutta Silver Repoussé Vase from Dass & Dutt, 1900s

Details

Description

Antique early 20th Century Indian solid silver vase, repoussé decorated in relief with figures, floral patterns and villages in a … Read more Antique early 20th Century Indian solid silver vase, repoussé decorated in relief with figures, floral patterns and villages in a landscape. The decoration depicting indian villages and farming life is typically from Calcutta, more precisesly from Bovanipore, where, among others, the silver manufacturer Dass & Dutt had a prolific workshop operating from the late 19th Century unitl the early 20th.

On the center of the bowl a cartouche engraved "The Asian Golf Challenge Bowl, Presented By The Proprietor of the "Asian" For Annual Competition On At Calcutta By Medal Play Under Handicap Open To All Amateur Golfers, Instituted Xmas 1902". The bowl is marked on the base rim, Dass & Dutt, Bhowanipore, Calcutta, and dates back to the early 1900's.

Dass & Dutt was one of the most famous and prosperous silverware workshops, operating in India from late 19th century until the early 20th. The firm was based in Bhonivapore, a suburb of Calcutta. The company’s products stand out thanks to their exceptional and peculiar design.

Dass & Dutt’s design represented chased scenes of Calcutta daily life. Unlike other silversmiths, Dass & Dutt preferred smoother style and somehow less crisp and detailed than other Indian designs.

Dass & Dutt’s silverware design usually depicted a picturesque narrative of Indian rural life. Their exquisite products, such as vases, bowls, sets of pepper pots, tea services and torch stands, represented countryside landscapes and people doing their everyday chores. The scenes of harvesting, chopping wood or just people interacting with animals were the leading motives.

Along with Grish Chunder Dutt and Hamilton & Co, Dass & Dutt is considered the most prominent silversmiths that has ever worked in Calcutta. With common motives and themes, these workshops’ craftsmen worked in different styles, unique in their own ways. Unlike Hamilton & Co’s polished and minimalistic approach, Grish’s silverware was elaborated and tactile. As for Dass & Dutt, the firm experimented with styles. As well as elaborated ornaments, they would use simple thumbprints or flower-petal patterns on a smooth surface.

CONDITION
In Great Condition - Wear expected with age. Please refer to photographs.

SIZE
Height: 20 cm // 7.87 inches
Diameter: 17 cm // 6.69 inches
Weight: 565 grams This piece has an attribution mark,
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