Antique Royal Indian Silver Fly Whisk Chauri Islamic Mughal India 18-19 Century

Description

Antique Royal Indian Silver Fly Whisk Chauri Islamic Mughal India 18-19 Century
Antique Royal Indian Silver Fly Whisk Chauri Islamic Mughal India 18th-19th Century
Click images to enlarge
Description
Antique Museum Quality, Royal Indian silver fly whisk (chamara, chauri orchowri) 18th -19th century Islamic Mughal India. Handmade in solid silver with hollowed interior fly whisk handle mounted with white yak's hair.
The cast and finely chiseled whisk head consist of a single beaded collar with a floral design below and two rows of casts and hand sculptured in relief stylized crowned animals' heads (each row with 31 heads, which come to 62 heads in total).
On the top of a tapered handle are mounted multiple bulbous rings; at the bottom, a finial composed of multiple bulbous rings surmounted by a faceted knob pierced with a hole for threading silk suspension string.
Most of the Indian silver fly whisks are made of wood coated with a thin sheet of silver. This particular piece is made of thick silver.
The fly whisk had been a symbol of royalty from ancient times, and this symbol was adopted at an early stage in India's Islamic period.
During the Mughal period, the ruler appeared at courtly ceremonies, accompanied by an official known as a chamardar, who was bearing Chauri, which was the most solemn symbol of kingship after the umbrella in Mughal India and other Muslim monarchies, as far as North Africa.
Authentic antique Mughal fly whisks are very rare, and few have survived to this day. They rarely appear in museum collections or for sale and are almost impossible to get.
REFERENCES:
1. A related Indian silver fly whisk, dating to the 19th century was sold for £2,000 =US$ 3378 by Christie’s) London (South Kensington), Arts of Indian 12 June 2014, LOT 172.
2. A pair of 19th century Indian gilt-copper fly whisks are published in the Christie’s auction catalog Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds London. 21 Apr 2016. Lot: 33. Sold for GBP 10,625 = US$ 15,234
3.A similar form fly whisk is published in the book "Tulips, Arabesques and Turbans: Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire" by YANNI PETSOPOULOS. Plate.27
4.A related chauri is published in the book: Gold, Silver & Bronze from Mughal India by Mark Zebrowski. Page.74. No.56.
5.A comparable Chauri in the collection of The Victoria and Albert Museum in London
6. A similar Chauri in the collection of The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.
The buyer will be provided with a copy of the pages from the mentioned references, together with a certificate of authenticity.
PROVENANCE: Acquired from an old Canadian Collection of Islamic Art.
APPROXIMATE MEASUREMENTS:
Overall length with the yak hair: 88 cm (34.65 inches)
Length of the handle: 38 cm (14.96 inches)
The diameter of the head: 8.9 cm (3.5 inches)
WEIGHT: approximately: 7.18 grams (25.3267 Ounces)
CONDITION: Showing age and usage, minor dents, the head, and the bottom finial has a fine patina. Overall, it is in fine condition and is without repairs.
Item number: IS632
Payment
PayPal
Shipping
International Shipping Costs will be calculated after the auction based on the purchaser address.
Items will be shipped within 5 business days of receiving payment.
Terms of Sale
All items are guaranteed to be authentic antiques, and not reproductions.
All our artifacts are accompanied by a
Certificate of Authenticity
.
We provide a full money return guarantee if a state museum judges the
artifact to be non-authentic.
Canadian buyers please note: We are required to charge HST or GST on all orders mailed to Canadian
destinations. The invoice we send to Canadian buyers will include the appropriate tax.
About Us
Our business HUNDRED & ONE ANTIQUES is based on a long family tradition of collecting fine European and Oriental Antiques and Art, with a special interest in Antique Arms and Armour.
We have been involved in antique trading since 1970.
Welcome and thank you for visiting
Hundred and One Antiques
Pictures sell!
Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing.
300+
Listing Templates!
Auctiva gets you noticed!
The complete eBay Selling Solution.
Every buyer gets a MyStoreRewards invitation for cash back
Track Page Views With
Auctiva's FREE Counter