Water Flask

19th century Origin: Kashmir Provenance: Europe Material: Gilded Copper with polychrome enamel A finely crafted Kashmiri copper surahi, a traditional vessel type with a long history across the Indian subcontinent and the wider Persianate world. The entire surface is animated by an exceptionally rich programme of polychrome enamel and gilded decoration. Deep blues and turquoise are set against greens, yellows, reds and pale enamel grounds, producing a jewel-like surface that contrasts beautifully with the warm copper beneath. The decoration consists of scrolling foliage, stylised floral forms and repeating arabesque patterns, organised into horizontal bands and radiating panels that follow the changing contours of the vessel. The careful adaptation of the ornament to the vessel's changing geometry demonstrates the remarkable control of the Kashmiri metalworker. The result is a surahi in which function, geometry and ornament become inseparable The surahi was fundamentally a utilitarian vessel, designed to hold and serve water. Yet examples such as this occupy a space between utility and display. The lavish application of enamel, gilding and engraved ornament transforms an everyday vessel into an object of visual refinement, intended as much to be seen as to be used. This piece belongs to the period in which Kashmiri metalwork increasingly entered international markets. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Kashmiri craftsmen produced richly decorated enamelware for both local patrons and European visitors and collectors. The extraordinary density of ornament and brilliant polychrome palette seen here are characteristic of the highly decorative objects that came to represent Kashmiri craftsmanship to audiences beyond the valley speaking of the cosmopolitan world into which Kashmiri craftsmanship travelled. Private collection: Traam and Beyond

Not for Sale