A good 19th century Indian silver teapot Mawji Raghavji, Cutch (Kutch), Bhuj, circa 1880, the base is stamped 'MR' over 'BHUJ' Of baluster form, with beaded rim, the whole finely chased all over with scrolling foliage and flowers, with a central band, the upper body is interspersed with various birds such as an ibis and a peacock, and other song birds, the lower body includes a series of animals in four fight scenes, including an elephant attacking a tiger, a lion and a tiger attacking a man, with outstretched blade, the hinged dome cover foliate chased, surmounted with a scorpion finial, tail raised, the cast and chased spout capped with a birds head terminal, the scroll cast handle modelled as a lizard, with feet outstretched, finely detailed, with three ivory insulators, height 17cm, length 22.5cm, weight 25.9oz, weight 808gms. Footnotes: From A Private collection of Indian and Burmese Colonial Silver Provenance: From Michael Backman, London, June 2011. This teapot is by the Cutch silversmith Mawji Raghavji. Mawji Raghavji was a important silversmith and contemporary of the well known master silversmith Oomersi Mawji in Bhuj in the last quarter of the 19th century. The quality of the workmanship on this pot demonstrates Mawji Raghavji rivaling the ability of Ommersi Mawji. Mawji Raghavji was an artisan of the highest ability. Like his better known counterpart, he came from the cobbler caste and began his career crafting metal-mounted leather objects such as shields. He was awarded the bronze medal for a candlestick at the Delhi Exhibition in 1903. Literature: Design Drawing: In a collection of design drawings sold in these rooms. The drawings included an almost identical design for this teapot. 'A group of designs and sketches by the workshop of Raghavji Mawji, Bhuj, late 19th century' sold Bonham's New Bond Street, 22nd October 2019, lot 166. A very close design for this teapot has survived as part of the Elizabeth and John Sequeira collection. Illustrated: Dehejia, V., Delight in Design Indian Silver for the Raj, Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing, 2008, p. 39, fig. 3. For examples of his work see Wynyard R.T. Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858-1947: Decorative Silver from the Indian Sub-Continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms. London, 1999, Wynyard R T Wilkinson, pp. 80 and 87, nos. 110 and 126. Please note that this lot contains ivory, export and shipping restrictions apply. The item within this lot containing ivory has been registered in accordance with the Ivory Act (Section 10). With non-transferable reference (BT61RT7U) This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: Y Ф Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13. Ф This lot contains or is made of ivory and cannot be imported into the USA or any country within the EU. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing