A late 19th century Anglo-Indian three-piece tea service, Cutch circa 1890 by V.K (unidentified, Wilkinson p.92)

A late 19th century Anglo-Indian three-piece tea service, Cutch circa 1890 by V.K (unidentified, Wilkinson p.92)

Raj period, comprising a teapot, a covered milk jug, a twin handled covered sugar bowl. Each of globular form raised upon four feet with chased peacock junctions. The chased scroll handles modelled as serpents with bifurcated junctions. The teapot and milk jug with hinged domed lids, the sugar bowl with a pull-off lid each surmounted by a cast and chased finial of a caparisoned elephant. The bodies and lid with finely chased decoration of rosettes and foliate scrolls, each with a vacant shield shape cartouche to one side, all between an acanthus leaf border. The decoration on each also chased with animals; the teapot with a lion and a collared dog flanking the cartouche and to the obverse a lion hunting a gazelle, the milk jug with a vulture and a tiger flanking the cartouche and to the obverse a caparisoned elephant, the sugar bowl with two pairs of mongooses fighting flanking the cartouche and to the obverse a doe. Each marked V.K only to the underside. (3)

Teapot length – 20.5 cm / 8 inches

Milk jug length – 10.8 cm / 4.25 inches

Sugar bowl length – 17 cm / 6.6 inches

Weight – 1174 grams / 37.75 ozt

The unidentifed maker VK is described as "specialised in oval teasets and trays in addition to making other hollow-ware. All of his signed work was of a consistently high standard of workmanship." Wilkinson, W., (1999)., Indian Silver 1858-1947: Decorative Silver from the Indian Sub-Continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms. London, Wynyard R T Wilkinson, p. 89.