A DECORATIVE SILVER AND GOLD-INLAID (KOFTGARI) STEEL CARP
Possibly Mayo School of Arts (modern-day National College of Arts), Lahore, Punjab, circa 1880 - 1920

In the shape of a carp, the fish-scale pattern rendered with realism thanks to the intricate gold-damascening work, also known as koftgari, divided into overlapping horizontal rows on the face and diamond-shaped grid on the body, diagonal silver lines on the base, 22cm long.

The Mayo School of Arts was established along with the Lahore Museum in 1875 with John Lockwood Kipling (1837-1911) as curator and first Principal. This School was one of the two art colleges created by the British Crown in India in reaction to the increasing influence and importance the Arts and Crafts Movement assumed. The students were able to practice both the traditional local arts and be exposed to innovative techniques and crafts imported from the West, which led to the creation of unique forms of art blending past and present, East and West, functional and decorative purposes into one, in an original style like our lot.