A rare and exceptional 19th century Indian silver water jug Madras, circa 1875, unmarked, possibly attributed to Peter Orr and Sons, Madras, after a design illustrated in a sales catalogue of P. Orr and Sons Cylindrical form with tapering sides, the body of the jug is created with a double skin, this 'Swami' style of decoration of the outer surface is repoussé and chased with a central band of flower motifs, the upper section shows Durga riding a lion and in the process of killing a tiger, on the opposite side another god, with four arms, probably Vishnu, riding a horse, flanked either side with processional figures, the short spout is in the form of a makara / Garuda, embellished with foliate scrolls below, on the lower half six panels with Vishnu in avatars, each within a pillared temple, in between each rises a flourishing tall tree, the hinged cover is surmounted with a cast figure of Krishna, surrounded with a band of figures in varying pursuits, the detailed cast handle in the form of a cobra, the top with a flat head and a coiled lower tail joining the body, with upper and lower bead rims, the double skinned construction means that the interior surface is smooth, height 25.5cm, weight 40.2oz, weight 1252.9gms. Footnotes: From A private Collection of Indian and Burmese Colonial Silver 'Swami' silver is the name given to a distinctive style of silverware that originated in the South Indian city of Madras (Chennai) under the British Raj. With exceptional detail swami typically used English forms with Hindu deities and motifs. A design for this style of water jug 'tankard' is illustrated from a page of a sales catalogue circa 1880 of P. Orr and Sons. Provenance: From Michael Backman, London, October 2012. Literature: Delight in Design. Indian Silver for the Raj by Vidya Dehejia, 2008 A similar near design hot water jug, is published on the back cover of Dehejia, formerly in the Paul Walter Collection and was purchased by the Virginia Fine Arts Museum. This example had ivory insulators and formed part of a four-piece tea service and tray. Indian Silver, 1858-1947: Silver from the Indian Sub-continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms, Wynyard R. T. Wilkinson, London, 1999. Indian silver for the Raj, The Magazine Antiques October 2008 Silver from Madras came to be known as 'swami silver' for its depictions of Hindu deities. A swami tea service and other items from Madras were presented to the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII; r. 1901-1910) during his 1875 to 1876 tour of India. Upon his return, these pieces caused a sensation when they were exhibited in several cities in England. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing