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A Close Pair Octagonal Shaped Filigree Silver Box, Padang-West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, West Sumatra-Indonesia, Circa 1700.

Identification Number:
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Description

 

Dutch Colonial Silver, A Rare Close Pair of Octagonal Shaped Filigree Silver Boxes, The Lid is Decorated In The Chinese Style With Open Work Floral Motives, Padang-West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, West Sumatra-Indonesia, Circa 1700.

Both boxes are beautifully done in two separate Octagonal shaped pieces, the lower Octagonal container and the lid are both made in almost similar sizes, the lower container is been densely decorated with intense interlaced vegetal like designs whereas the lid is been similarly designed except the central part which is been differently decorated with Chinese style openwork decoration in the form of floral petals.

Also the lower Octagonal shaped container is attached to a smaller Octagonal raised base.

There are four main differences between the two boxes:

  • The size: one box is slightly larger than the other one.
  • Connectivity: the larger box is totally detached, the detached lid close nicely on top of the lower container whereas the smaller box is attached towards one edge with the lower container with a soldered hinge, also the inside is supported with two chains that ties up both the lid with the lower container.
  • Decoration: the filigree decoration on both boxes is decorated with different floral designs.
  • The stamped silver marks: both boxes are officially stamped with the Dutch Dolphin Mark which was used in the Netherlands between the periods (1859-1893 AD.) for silver items of 0.833 of purity, the larger box has an additional unidentified silver mark probably the duty mark!

The dolphin mark was probably used after the item’s real date of making, which is most likely to be during the 18th. Century, probably the items were brought back during the 19th century from the Malay World to the Netherlands to offered and sold in the Dutch market.

For related and similar works of Art please see:

Asian Art And Dutch Taste, by Jan Veenendaal, Waanders Uitgevers Zwolle, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, 2014, ISBN: 978 94 6262000 1.

For almost identical octagonal shaped box but with additional enamelled work decoration please see lot no. 195 exhibited in page 126.

Please also see the open work decoration used in the silver filigree caskets in lots 189, 193 & 194, exhibited on pages 122 & 125 and the filigree beaker, lot No. 200 illustrated on page 128.
Please notice the identical open work floral depiction executed on the lid of lot 194.

 

Dimensions

Dimensions of box No.1
14.5 cm diam. of top.
6.5 cm is the height.
13 cm is the depth.
10.7 cm is the diam. of the hexagonal shaped base.

Dimensions of box No.2
13cm. diam. of top.
5.5 cm. is the height.
12.5 cm is the depth.
10.2 cm is the diam. of the hexagonal shaped base.

Condition

1- the larger box is in a very good condition with a minimal old repair, the item has additional unknown silver marks.

2- the smaller box, in excellent condition, the dolphin silver marks are slightly not visible due to the oxidization of the metal and are tarnished with black colour.

Provence

The European Art Market.

References

1- For related and similar work please see
Asian Art And Dutch Taste, by Jan Veenendaal, Waanders Uitgevers Zwolle, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, 2014, ISBN: 978 94 6262000 1.
For almost identical octagonal shaped box but with additional enamelled work decoration please see lot no. 195 exhibited in page 126, also for other related filigree silver objects but with similar craftsmanship, materials and the typical Chinese influenced style and ornamentation patterns used, more importantly please notice the unique Chinese style of open work used in decorating filigree items like the bold depiction of the floral and vegetal motif designs.
Also please see the similarities of the open work decoration used in the filigree silver caskets in lots 189, 193 & 194, exhibited on pages 122 & 125 and the filigree beaker, lot No. 200 illustrated on page 128.
Please notice the identical open work floral depiction executed on the lid of lot 194.

2- For another similar work executed by Chinese masters working in Southeast-Asia, please see the Hermitage Museum collection of Indian Filigree Silver, published at the Silver wonders from the east, Filigree of the Tsars, Hermitage & Amsterdam, by Lund Humphries in association with the Hermitage Amsterdam, for comparison of similar Chinese work that was made in Mainland China please see, Cat. NR.12 illustrated on Page 63 & Cat. NR. 34 illustrated on page 75.

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