A late 19th century rare Indian Alwar silver beaker Alwar, circa 1880 - 1885 Cylindrical form with slightly tapering sides, upper and lower bands of finely and intricately engraved scrolls of flora and flowers, with tassels and motifs, the centre three shaped-rectangular cartouches, centred with an engraved animal, a seated tiger, an elephant, in between the cartouches further engraved animals, an antelope, two giraffe, two wallabies, butterflies and songbirds to the top corners of the cartouches, the base is constructed with a large coin to the base, gilt interior, height 13.3cm, weight 13.3oz. Footnotes: The Queen Victoria coin base relating to The East Indian Company Railway the reverse THE EAST INDIAN RAILWAY PROJECTED BY ROWLAND MACDONALD STEPHENSON, CEORGE TURNBULL BEING CHIEF ENGINEER, WAS COMMENCED IN THE XV TH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF VICTORIA, JAMES ANDREW MARQUIS OF DALHOUSIE, K. T. K.T. BEING GOVERNOR GENERAL OF INDIA AND WAS OPENED TO RAJMAHAL IN THE XXIV YEAR OF THE SAME GRACIOUS REIGN: CHARLES JOHN EARL CANNING. C.C. B. BEING VICEROY AND GOVERNOR GENERAL. A.D. MDCCCLX. From A Private collection of Indian and Burmese Colonial Silver According to Dehejia (2008, p. 181), colonial silver was produced in Alwar for a period of less than ten years, and certainly between 1880 and 1885. The two principal silversmiths were Panna Lal and Nand Kishore, both of whom studied at the Civil Engineering College at Roorkee. The silver used was particularly pure and so soft. Literature: Dehejia, V., Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj, Mapin, 2008. 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 15-19. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing