Indian and Himalayan Art Teapot Adorned with Scenes of Rural Life Made in Bhowanipore, Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), West Bengal, India, Asiac. 1890-1900 Grish Chunder Dutt, Indian, active late 19th - early 20th century Silver with repousse work, ivory * Gallery 295, European Art 1500-1850, second floor 2007-111-1 Gift of Joan K. Short, 2007 |
LabelFor most of the nineteenth century, silversmiths in Bengal catered to English tastes, producing wares with simple lines and minimal decoration. In the months leading up to the Calcutta International Exhibition of 1883, however, a community of artisans in Bhowanipore, an area of Calcutta (Kolkata), pioneered a new type of luxury silverware featuring detailed depictions of Bengali rural scenes and festival processions. This design shift may have been driven by a desire to fashion a more distinctively “Bengali” mode of silverware for the global market. Ironically, the images of rustic and city life on this teapot were largely inspired by paintings and photographs produced by British travelers to the region.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
