Teapot

Late 19th Century (circa 1870–1890) Origin: Kashmir Provenance: Europe Material: Copper This rare teapot reimagines the traditional Kashmiri kangri—a portable brazier used for warmth—into a sculptural domestic vessel, animated by intertwined serpent (nāga) motifs. The handle takes the form of a coiled serpent, echoed by a second snake that wraps around the lower body and extends seamlessly into the spout, while a third serpent crowns the lid. The surface is richly worked with repoussé vegetal and foliate motifs, demonstrating the high level of technical mastery characteristic of late 19th-century Kashmiri metalwork. In Kashmir, nāga imagery resurfaced strongly in the late 18th–early 19th century, when local Hindu-Buddhist symbolism quietly re-entered decorative arts alongside Islamic aesthetics. Such conceptual transformations of everyday forms into luxury objects appear in Kashmir after courtly taste solidified under Afghan (Durrani) and early Sikh rule. Private collection - Trām and Beyond

Not for Sale