Vase

19th century Origin: Kashmir Material: Copper Design: Shawl-tarah This elegant Kashmiri copper vase is distinguished by its full-bodied, almost architectural form and exceptionally dense engraved ornament. The principal decoration is arranged within a series of cusped arch-shaped compartments, or mehraabs. Within each mehraab appears a prominent paisley or badam, the almond-shaped motif that occupies a central place in Kashmiri decorative vocabulary. Fine scrolling stems, leaves and floral details fill the spaces between and within these larger forms, leaving remarkably little of the copper surface undecorated. A series of horizontal engraved bands separates the principal registers, providing a visual transition between the different zones of ornament. The neck carries further vegetal decoration, while the foot is similarly embellished, ensuring that the ornament continues almost uninterrupted from the base to the rim. The design exemplifies the distinctive Kashmiri practice of translating architectural, botanical and textile vocabularies into metal. The mehraab evokes the arched forms of Kashmiri and Indo-Islamic architecture, while the badam, foliage and densely filled ground recall the ornamental language of Kashmiri shawls and other textiles. The extraordinary density of the engraving is characteristic of the finest Kashmiri copperwork, where the value of an object lay not only in its utility but in the skill, patience and precision invested in its decoration. Private collection: Traam and Beyond

Not for Sale