This is a fine silver covered bowl decorated in high relief with human figures, huts and animals in a rural landscape, made by the renowned silversmith Grish Chunder Dutt in Bhowanipore, a suburb of Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), c1894. The bowl depicts a number of village scenes: some huts, a figure with an umbrella sitting outside his hut, another carrying water and watching his cattle, and a farmer harvesting the crops, all amid palm trees and other foliage.
The farming scene is exquisitely done, with naturalistic scales delineated over the length of figures and objects. This style could be read as a creative and nationalist revolt against the British inspired colonial style of silverwork, often done with smooth lines and minimal decoration, of the type we can see, for example, at Hamilton and Co., the first British silversmith to set up shop in Calcutta, in 1808.
To read more about Grish Chunder Dutt, please check out our blog post dedicated to his silvermaking.
A Fine Indian Silver Covered Bowl, by Grish Chunder Dutt, Calcutta, c1894
In excellent condition with minimal wear representative of age. The mark is clear. There is a dedication on the cartouche, marked for the 22nd of November 1894. A highly collectable piece of silver. If you have any questions, or you require additional photos with the silver bowl, do not hesitate to contact us.
