Page 129 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

A pandan was intended for holding betel nut and preparing pan. Smaller
boxes for additional spices made the object part of an elaborate ritual
performed at courtly durbars (A. Jaffer and A.T. Okada (eds.) From the Great
Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from the Al Thani Collection, Exhibition
Catalogue, Grand Palais, Paris, 2017, pp.194-195). The courtly role of these
inherently practical objects demanded extravagant materials such as
precious metals, gemstones, and enamel.

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Enamelling appeared in Indian art in the 16 century, probably through
Europeans arriving in Goa and transmitting the technique to the Mughal and
Deccani courts. Mughal enamellers are recorded by Abu’l Fazl in his Ain-i
Akbari and Sir Thomas Roe later records the Portuguese selling enamelled
wares to the Mughal court in 1617. Objects of this period display the ‘classic
Mughal palette’ of red and green forming quatrefoil florets and leaves
against an opaque white ground (M. Spink, “Objects in Gold and Enamel”, in
Jaffer and Okada, From the Great Mughals to the Maharajas, p.169.). As well
as the main imperial Mughal cities Jaipur became an important centre of
enamelling, recognised for brilliant bright reds.
There is little enamelling found from the Deccan from the 17 century but
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by the 18 century Hyderabad had become an important area of production
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likely following its conquest by the Mughals. As such, it is unsurprising that
the Hyderabadi palette remains very similar to the Mughal palette often
making it difficult to confidently attribute enamels to either North India
or the Deccan (Simon Ray, Exhibition Catalogue, 2019, p.85). However,
*105 Deccani work tends to favour more geometric use of vegetal forms and
employ translucent greens on a gold ground (Spink, p.164). A similar object,
AN ENAMELLED AND DIAMOND-SET PANDAN TRAY AND
BOXES an octagonal green enamelled and gem-set tray, in the Khalili Collection
HYDERABAD, DECCAN, INDIA, EARLY 18TH CENTURY (JLY 1720) has been assigned as Mughal India circa 1700. The form and
decoration, especially the acanthus leaf borders and the champlevé
Comprising four boxes on a fitted tray standing on eight legs, the tray set
technique in the interior of the associated boxes, only serves to highlight the
with diamonds on a green enamel ground, octagonal panels where the boxes
sit enamelled with red flowers on a white ground, the octagonal boxes with closeness between these centres of production and often provenance plays a
alternating panels of floral motifs in red, white, and green enamel, the finials crucial role in determining attribution.
set with a diamond, the interior of the box lids with green enamel, the interior of
the boxes and base of tray undecorated, with associated knop During the reign of Nizam Asaf Jah III (r.1803-1829) the State of Hyderabad
Tray 7w x 7æ x 2æin. (20 x 19.5 x 7cm.); each box 1¬ x 1¬ x 1æin. (4 x 4 x 4.3cm.) experienced major financial and political difficulties as the Nizam began
£250,000-350,000 US$290,000-400,000 struggled to control his domains. Under the recommendation of the Sikh
€290,000-400,000 Prime Minister Maharaja Chandu Lal the Nizam appealed to Maharaja
Ranjit Singh in Lahore for assistance. An embassy was sent to the Durbar
in Lahore and Ranjit Singh was presented with horses, a beautiful canopy,
PROVENANCE:
By repute a gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad to Ranjit Singh, 1830s a sword and a number of other precious gifts (S. Kohli, Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, Lahore, 1933, p.267). The Maharaja was so taken by these items that
From the 17 century visitors to the courts of the Indian rulers were left he sent a detachment of soldiers to Hyderabad in order to help stabilise
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astounded and impressed by the material splendour they experienced. The the state on the condition a Gurdwara was built. The Sikh detachment
lavishness of the interiors that greeted them, enhanced with all manner of arrived in Hyderabad in 1832 and the area of the city the city in which they
jewelled and enamelled utensils, is recorded time and again. Sir Thomas were stationed remains called the Sikh Chawani. The present pandan was
Roe, ambassador to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1615-18, described the reputedly one of the fine gifts sent by the Nizam and presented to Maharaja
Mughal court as ‘the treasury of the world’ (S.Stronge, N. Smith, and J.C. Ranjit Singh in Lahore.
Harle, A Golden Treasury: Jewellery from the Indian Subcontinent, London,
1989, p.27). This was not just the case in Mughal domains but throughout the A fine diamond-set and green enamelled gold covered bowl and stand
Subcontinent. Until the discovery of diamonds in Africa and South America formerly of the collection of Collection of Dr. Mohamed Said Farsi was sold
in the 18 century nearly all diamonds came from the Deccan, with the mines in these Rooms, 05 October 2010, lot 45. Another diamond-set suite of
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at Golconda particularly famed. Although the rulers of the Deccani Kingdoms pan boxes was sold at Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence, Christie’s New
tended not to adorn themselves as much with gemstones as the Mughal York, 19 June 2019, lot 240 with a smaller pan box lot 241. Both these lots
emperors, the Qutb Shahs of Goldonda and later Nizams of Hyderabad employed a similar green enamelled ground to the present lot. All three
enjoyed a vast wealth of gemstones from which to create extraordinary of the aforementioned were originally sold in a 1985 auction at Habsburg
jewelled objects (N.N. Haidar, “Diamonds in the Deccan”, Sultans of Deccan Feldman in Geneva where the vendor was widely stated to be the Nizam of
India, New York, 2015, pp.325-326). Hyderabad, firmly linking the green ground group of objects with Hyderabad.

126 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 127
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.