{"id":5354543906966,"title":"Antique Indian Silver Lotus Plate, Decorative, Northern India – Early 20th Century","handle":"antique-indian-silver-lotus-plate-decorative-northern-india-early-20th-century","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis finely crafted and unusual silver plate takes the form of a lotus flower and displays extremely well; it is highly decorative, richly ornamented and three dimensional. The plate is of good size and weight and has been made from high grade silver. There are no silver marks or signature but the style suggests that it originates from Northern India. The ornamentation has been very well executed and the craftsmanship is highly proficient and skilled.  We believe it dates from the early years of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNestling at the heart of the luxuriant lotus flower is a mythical winged lion, or possibly a tiger, which is depicted on the raised central boss. Similar winged lions feature on the sacred gates at Sanchi and there is a relief showing foreigners riding winged tigers on the Eastern Gateway to Stupa 1 at Sanchi. The lion figure to the centre of the plate is encircled by a beaded border and a ring of radiating stamens, recalling the lotus within beads and reels stone relief at Stupa 2, Sanchi. There are many stone reliefs featuring the lotus flower at Sanchi and they are believed to have been the inspiration for the design of this unusual plate. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sides of the central boss have been ornamented with unfurled petals, indicating that the lotus flower has not fully opened. The boss is surrounded by three raised and curving bands of lotus petals. The rows of petals flatten and become less three dimensional as the distance from the centre increases, enhancing the realistic impression. The rows are separated and defined by narrow bands of plain silver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the perimeter, and encircling the opening lotus flower, is a finely crafted figural border featuring a menagerie of real and mythical animal figures, human figures and stylised flowers. The border is in the Graeco-Indian style and has clearly been influenced by the scrolling border of a stone relief at Sanchi Stupa 3, with similar stylised flowers, birds and makhara.  The portrayals of men wrestling makhara, depicted on the border of the plate, closely resemble the stone reliefs at Stupa 3 in Sanchi, sometimes referred to as ‘the foreigner reliefs’.   Examples of stone reliefs depicting floral scrolls of similar design to those on the plate have also been found in Gandhara.  Other reliefs at Sanchi show men riding winged lions, or tigers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGraeco-Indian art spread from the Gandharan kingdom of the Peshawar valley (in modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan), which was a central Indo-Greek region. It is known that around 115 BC, craftsmen from Gandhara came to work at Sanchi, sculpting architectural decorations such as decorative reliefs. The spread of Buddhism followed a similar trajectory at a similar time.  Some notable Hellenistic features of Graeco-Indian art are the anatomically realistic figures of animals and men, human figures with the curly hair typical of the peoples of the Mediterranean and Greek sculptural elements such as vines and scrolls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSanchi (Sanci) Stupa, is a Buddhist complex on a hilltop near the town of Sanchi in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Great Stupa is one of the oldest and most important stone structures in India and was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. It is an important early Buddhist site.  Emperor Ashoka also commissioned a series of pillars which were erected at many important Buddhist religious sites. The capital of one of these pillars, known as the Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, was rediscovered in 1905. Later, the Lion Capital was adopted as the National Emblem of India and the wheel from its base, known as the ‘Ashoka Chakra’ was placed in the centre of the flag of India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first description of the Sanchi temple complex in English was written by General Henry Taylor who documented the site in 1818. Taylor found the site in a total state of abandon but it was ravaged by treasure hunters and amateur archaeologists later in the nineteenth century.  In 1881, proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall, Director General of the Indian Archaeological Survey (1902–31). He published his work there in 1939 in a three volume account entitled ‘The Monuments of Sanchi’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance\u003c\/em\u003e:– UK antique trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions\u003c\/em\u003e:– Height 2.5cms; Width 24cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight\u003c\/em\u003e:– 484 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences\u003c\/em\u003e:–\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSir John Marshall and Alfred Foucher, The Monuments of Sanchi, 1939, reprinted by Swati Publications, New Delhi, India 1996\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-06-19T19:06:39+01:00","created_at":"2020-06-19T19:11:28+01:00","vendor":"Joseph Cohen Antiques","type":"Plate","tags":["Sold Archive"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":34803614908566,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"JC-PLAT-06803","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Antique Indian Silver Lotus Plate, Decorative, Northern India – Early 20th Century","public_title":null,"options":["Default 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India","id":9640157773974,"position":6,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"width":768,"src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Indian-Antique-Silver-Lotus-Plate-Decorative-Early-20th-Century-Northern-India.jpg?v=1592590866"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Indian-Antique-Silver-Lotus-Plate-Decorative-Early-20th-Century-Northern-India.jpg?v=1592590866","width":768}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis finely crafted and unusual silver plate takes the form of a lotus flower and displays extremely well; it is highly decorative, richly ornamented and three dimensional. The plate is of good size and weight and has been made from high grade silver. There are no silver marks or signature but the style suggests that it originates from Northern India. The ornamentation has been very well executed and the craftsmanship is highly proficient and skilled.  We believe it dates from the early years of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNestling at the heart of the luxuriant lotus flower is a mythical winged lion, or possibly a tiger, which is depicted on the raised central boss. Similar winged lions feature on the sacred gates at Sanchi and there is a relief showing foreigners riding winged tigers on the Eastern Gateway to Stupa 1 at Sanchi. The lion figure to the centre of the plate is encircled by a beaded border and a ring of radiating stamens, recalling the lotus within beads and reels stone relief at Stupa 2, Sanchi. There are many stone reliefs featuring the lotus flower at Sanchi and they are believed to have been the inspiration for the design of this unusual plate. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sides of the central boss have been ornamented with unfurled petals, indicating that the lotus flower has not fully opened. The boss is surrounded by three raised and curving bands of lotus petals. The rows of petals flatten and become less three dimensional as the distance from the centre increases, enhancing the realistic impression. The rows are separated and defined by narrow bands of plain silver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the perimeter, and encircling the opening lotus flower, is a finely crafted figural border featuring a menagerie of real and mythical animal figures, human figures and stylised flowers. The border is in the Graeco-Indian style and has clearly been influenced by the scrolling border of a stone relief at Sanchi Stupa 3, with similar stylised flowers, birds and makhara.  The portrayals of men wrestling makhara, depicted on the border of the plate, closely resemble the stone reliefs at Stupa 3 in Sanchi, sometimes referred to as ‘the foreigner reliefs’.   Examples of stone reliefs depicting floral scrolls of similar design to those on the plate have also been found in Gandhara.  Other reliefs at Sanchi show men riding winged lions, or tigers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGraeco-Indian art spread from the Gandharan kingdom of the Peshawar valley (in modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan), which was a central Indo-Greek region. It is known that around 115 BC, craftsmen from Gandhara came to work at Sanchi, sculpting architectural decorations such as decorative reliefs. The spread of Buddhism followed a similar trajectory at a similar time.  Some notable Hellenistic features of Graeco-Indian art are the anatomically realistic figures of animals and men, human figures with the curly hair typical of the peoples of the Mediterranean and Greek sculptural elements such as vines and scrolls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSanchi (Sanci) Stupa, is a Buddhist complex on a hilltop near the town of Sanchi in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Great Stupa is one of the oldest and most important stone structures in India and was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. It is an important early Buddhist site.  Emperor Ashoka also commissioned a series of pillars which were erected at many important Buddhist religious sites. The capital of one of these pillars, known as the Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, was rediscovered in 1905. Later, the Lion Capital was adopted as the National Emblem of India and the wheel from its base, known as the ‘Ashoka Chakra’ was placed in the centre of the flag of India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first description of the Sanchi temple complex in English was written by General Henry Taylor who documented the site in 1818. Taylor found the site in a total state of abandon but it was ravaged by treasure hunters and amateur archaeologists later in the nineteenth century.  In 1881, proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall, Director General of the Indian Archaeological Survey (1902–31). He published his work there in 1939 in a three volume account entitled ‘The Monuments of Sanchi’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance\u003c\/em\u003e:– UK antique trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions\u003c\/em\u003e:– Height 2.5cms; Width 24cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight\u003c\/em\u003e:– 484 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences\u003c\/em\u003e:–\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSir John Marshall and Alfred Foucher, The Monuments of Sanchi, 1939, reprinted by Swati Publications, New Delhi, India 1996\u003c\/p\u003e"}