Thai Gold Nielloware, A Rare Engraved, Nielloed And Gilt Round Shaped Kettle (Kar Nam Ton), Probably Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, Circa 1870s AD.

Identification Number: 377
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Description

The kettle is made out of carefully chased or repoussed high grade silver, decorated with garlanded flower motives, finely Nielloed and polished and heavily gilded, the round shaped body is covered with a three-tiered lid, the body of the pot is attached with a silver chain.
For more than two centuries ago this type of niellod silverware was made in Thailand and still is very popular and sort after among serious collectors in Thailand and all over the world.
The origin of the craftsmanship is still unclear some historians believe that it came from the Islamic world others think it might have came through China.
Some historian dates those artefacts back to the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries.
The Thai Royalties were and still very passionate and found of collecting this kind of very refined and highly tasteful artwork that depicts the high level, standards and very sophisticated talent, knowledge, fine materials used, techniques and expertise required in producing such amazing artefacts.
The Thai Royal household is full of various types of works of art and artefacts that are made in gold nielloware.
And to show the famous Thai generosity to the outside world most of the Thai Royal gifts that were presented to other Royal members of other countries, presidents, first ladies, foreign ambassadors, famous people and high ranking individuals in both the Thai society and from the outside world and other dignitaries were gifted such amazing treasures of Thai gold nielloware. Basically gold nielloware was considered by the Thai Royal family as a royal symbol of friendship to the outside world.

During the reign of the Thai King Narai, he sent a neillodware gift to king Lois XIV of France.
The main production centre of the nielloware items were Nakhon Si Thammarat, for that reason some people the refer to these items as Nakhon nielloware.

Two types of nielloware were produced the first was what some refer to it as Gold nielloware where the item was Gilt after it has been finished, and the second type is so called the black and white nielloware where the silver areas are left without gilding.

Provenance: The ex-collection of the famous French & Swiss singer and actress Ms. Marie Laforet, the collection was sold on the 28th. November 2017, at The French auctioneer Cornette De Saint CYR, Lot No.549.

Condition: very good.

Dimensions:

23 cm height.
20 cm the width and distance between the spout and body.

References:-
Thai Silver and Nielloware, by Paul Bromberg, River Books ISBN: 9786164510142, for similar Gold nielloware Kettles Please see the book cover.

-For almost identical Gold Nielloed kettle please see, Silverware in Thailand, by Naengoni Punjabhan, ISBN 974-88695-6-3, Please see lots catalogued on pages 148-149, the kettle belongs to the National Museum of Bangkok.

-A similar Gold Nielloware teapot or kettle was gifted from the Thai King Chulalongkorn to the American Smithsonian Institution (the National Museum of Natural History-Washington-DC), The department of Anthropology.

-For another almost identical item please see The Victoria & Albert Museum.

Silver and gold repoussé teapot. Museum no. 476-1894
Silver and gold teapot
Thailand
18th century
Silver, gold
Height 24 cm, width 20 cm
Museum no. 476-1894

-For another similar water kettle please see, Silver, A guide to the collections of the National Museum of Singapore, by Alexandra Avieropoulou Choo, ISBN No.: 9971-917-13-0, Please see Lot No. II illustrated in page 8.

-For another similar shaped gold nielloware kettle please see, Arts and Crafts of Thailand, by William Warren and Luca invernizzi Tettoni, 1994, Thames & Hudson, please see Lot 2-5 illustrated in page 26.