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A BIDRI SILVER & BRASS INLAID BOX 19TH CENTURY

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Coins: Ancient Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:600.00 - 800.00 USD
A BIDRI SILVER & BRASS INLAID BOX 19TH CENTURY
A FINE BIDRI SILVER-INLAID (BIDRI) BOX, DECCAN, CENTRAL INDIA, CIRCA 18TH/19TH CENTURY, Bidriware all over the
box, with squat globular body , the silver & Gold/Brass inlaid decoration consisting of floral motifs within a lattice, a band of split
palmettes below, a floral garland above. Floral motifs appear in much of the decorative art of North India and the Deccan in the
Mughal period. This box consists of two equal sections, each with a row of elegant Mughal flowers. Bidri wares are named after the
city of Bidar in India, where this type of metalwork originated. Cast from an alloy of zinc, copper, tin and lead, which was inlaid with
silver or brass, they were then chemically blackened to create rich contrasts between the silver inlay designs and the matt black
ground.This box was probably meant to hold pan, the digestif made of a betel leaf rolled with lime paste and spices. Its robust
architectonic form, reminiscent of early Islamic architecture in India, is a perfect foil for the bold rhythms of the arabesque designs
that dominate its surface.