A mid-19th century Anglo - Indian silver pepper caster, Cutch circa 1860 marked R.?

Raj period. of baluster form upon a spreading circular foot, the screw thread domed lid surmounted by a ball finial. Chased decoration of foliate scrolls and rosettes throughout, the foot with spirally fluted edge. Marked underneath, possibly R.C in a shaped rectangular punch.

Height – 11.6 cm / 4.6 inches

Weight – 147 grams/ 4.73 ozt

If marked R.C a possible candidate for this mark would be Richard Thomas Callan of Callan & Co. Between 1847-1853 he was an assistant to Lattey Brothers, 1855-57 a partner in Lattey, Callan and Co, then 1857-64 partner in Allan and Hayes. Then in 1864 until 1865, in Calcutta, Bombay and Simla Callan and Co takes over the insolvent Allan and Hayes. Callan died on the 26^th June 1865 at age 42. Given the other firms involvement with colonial silversmithing and the location of Bombay, somewhat close to the island of Cutch this could conceivably be an early piece of Cutch silversmithing retailed by a short-lived colonial firm. (for information on Callan see Wilkinson W., The Makers of Indian Colonial Silver, (1987), London: W.R.T. Wilkinson., p. 31)