Cup or chalice; Southeast Asia; late 19th century.

Cup or chalice; Southeast Asia; Late 19th century.
Silver.
Bears hallmarks.
Measurements: 16.5 x 13 x 13 cm.
Weight: 408 g.
A late 19th-century silver cup characterized by meticulous relief ornamentation and a composition with a distinctly historicist character. The body features a fluted lower section, which adds rhythm and volume to the silhouette, while the upper part is articulated by decorative medallions framing scenes of animals. The piece’s rich ornamentation is complemented by plant motifs and decorative elements in relief, whose treatment evokes the tradition of silverwork from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia during the colonial period. Its formal language draws on the eclectic works produced in centers such as Lucknow and Bombay, where traditional techniques of repoussé and chasing were combined with figurative and ornamental motifs drawn from diverse sources of inspiration.
In this context, the piece reflects both the nineteenth-century taste for sumptuous objects of Eastern inspiration and the Western market’s fascination with the decorative arts of the colonial territories. The combination of traditional techniques, figurative motifs, and profuse ornamentation reflects an eclectic sensibility characteristic of the colonial taste of the era.