A LARGE ENGRAVED COPPER ALLOY VASE AND SALVER, INDIA, DECCAN, PROBABLY GOLCONDA, CIRCA 1600 |

the vase of squat globular form on a tall, slightly splayed foot, the thin neck rising towards a wide spout with straight edges, on a large salver with everted, raised edges, engraved throughout with a detailed foliate ground comprising mythical beasts such as senmurvs, yalis and dragons, there also feature lions, elephants, gazelles, hares, bulls, dogs, and a variety of birds, including peacocks, the centre of the salver featuring a hamsa surrounded by concentric bands containing animals in a lush landscape and floral scrolls, inscriptive band to shoulder of vase and rim of spout

The ewer and vase have recently been professionally cleaned, the top part of the ewer (neck and spout) was detached due to oxidisation and recently re-soldered by professional restorers, the interior of the vase and its spout display some corrosion and oxidisation as well as two very minor holes in the body, the salver with some oxidisation to underside, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions

Qur’an, chapter II (al-Baqarah), verse 255.

Whereas significant aspects of the floral designs illustrated on this vase and salver owe their origins to artistic trends outside of India, notably Persia, they are of a type found adorning many of the remnant royal monuments and borders on manuscripts belonging to Deccan sultans. For instance, the mythical beast depicted in the centre of the present salver, the hamsa, and the yali hidden within the lush landscape engraved on the ewer, are typical features of Central and Southern Indian Hindu art that were incorporated into the vocabulary of sultanate ornament. 

A gilt copper engraved tray of a slightly different form and attributed to probably Golconda, circa 1600, in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad (inv. no.76.1442) displays a strikingly similar design. It is filled with "a herd of beasts [...] in an endlessly inventive pattern with no repeating elements" which Marika Sardar suggests may have been created using a pounce or outline created by a drawing master (Marika Sardar in Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy, exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 20 April - 26 July 2015, ed. Haidar and Sardar, p.208, no.102). The illustrated borders on an album page depicting Sultan Ibrahim 'Adil Shah II playing the Tambur display a floral and animal design also comparable to the present example (Náprstkovo Muzeum Asijských a Amerických Kultur, Prague (inv. no.A.12182, illustrated in ibid, pp.104-5, no.22).

The combination of beasts and formal floral motifs into a decorative scheme is typical of nowhere other than the Deccani Sultanates and permits of a confident attribution to that tradition.