ANTIQUE 19thC INDIAN KUTCH SOLID SILVER DRESSING TABLE SET, MAWJI RAGHAVJI, BHUJ c.1890

Antique 19th Century Indian (Kutch) solid silver dressing table set. Comprising a hand mirror, brush and oval tray, all richly worked in repoussé silver. Each piece displays high level craftsmanship and dense ornamental detail, characteristic of high quality Indian silver of the period. 

The solid silver brush is decorated with a repoussé scene depicting an elephant in combat with a lion, framed by dense floral and foliate ornament. The surrounding decoration is both repoussé and pierced, with a visible copper backing beneath; a rare and unusual feature in Indian silver, adding depth and contrast to the design. 

The hand mirror is worked in a closely related repoussé floral and foliate pattern. The central panel depicts a seated figure guru / sadhu beside a campfire, with palm trees in the background, creating a narrative scene within the decorative framework. 

The solid silver tray of an oval form is richly decorated with intricate repoussé work on a finely matted ground. The surface is covered with floral foliage with a blank centre oval cartouche. On the underneath, four spherical feet raise the tray. Marked to the base "MR". (Mawji Raghavji) an important Indian silversmith contemporary of the more prolific Oomersi Mawji, who perfectly demonstrates his rivaling ability in this magnificent piece. The brush and mirror are not hallmarked as if often the case for Indian silver, but acid tested 900+ grade silver.

Reference Number: A00117