COLLECTION

Object of the Month

Round lamp in Persian design, brass, late 19th to early 20th century, Punjab.

This spherical lamp conceals a remarkable combination of traditional craft practice and innovation. Inside the lamp are three mechanical rings, known as gimbals, which hold the source of light, such as a candle upright even if the sphere is upturned or rolled. When hung from the ceiling, perforated lamps cast mesmerising shadows.

An animated scene of a royal hunt or shikar, executed in minute details on gold tracery, is depicted on the lid of this box from Nathdwara in Rajasthan. It is a fine example of the Rajasthani thewa work that originated in Pratapgarh. Thewa work involved fusing glass and an overlaid tracing on gold foil at high temperatures on metal or silver parcel-gilt. Snuff boxes, jewellery, brooches, and salvers executed in the thewa style were very popular in the Western market in the 19th - early 20th century.