AN INDIAN SILVER REPOUSSÉ RAMAYANA BOWL Poona, Maharashtra, India, c.1900 Of compressed circular shape, resting on a tall circular foot, both the body and the foot worked with bold repoussé decoration, the central band on the body illustrating scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama and Lakshmana identifiable by their bows, Ravana by his several heads and arms, and Hanuman and Sugriva's monkey army by their faces and body features, on a ring-punched oxidised background to enhance the dramatic effect, above and below the main figural composition decorative bands of lush palmette leaves and half-rosette medallions on the rim, the foot ornate with courtly and village scenes, 26.5cm diam.  The attribution to the silverware production of Poona is mostly due to the subject depicted and the decorative technique used. Indeed, two main types of wares were produced in Poona: one was very similar to Madras and Swami silver with scenes in high relief taken from the Hindu myths; the latter was almost reminiscent of certain Burmese and Lucknow productions, with distinctive bold repoussé reliefs very often taken from the Ramayana, regularly placed under cusped arches or in panels and against an oxidised background, similar to our example (Wynyard R. T. Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858 - 1947, London, 1999, p. 169).

Notes: Islamic & Indian Art