BOMBAY, WITH POSSIBLE EUROPEAN ADDITIONS, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Details

A MAGNIFICENT SILVER LANDAU CARRIAGE MADE FOR THE MAHARAJA OF BHAVNAGAR
Bombay, with possible European additions, late 19th century
Wood and steel frame covered in thick applied silver sheet with repoussé and enamelled decoration and areas of gold, of typical Landau form, the undercarriage with elliptic springs, with boat-shaped cabin for four people, retractable two-part hood, seats for two coachmen each at front and rear, that at the front decorated as if covered by an embroidered valence, the sides of the cabin each bearing the crest of the princely state of Bhavnagar- two confronted bulls flanking a shield emblazoned with a gold eagle and with motto in devanagari script, the remainder of the body carrying naturalistic representations of flora and fauna in relief, many of the working parts terminating in or decorated with animals- heads of bulldogs, swans and greyhounds, the rear of the cab bearing the badge of the Fort Coach Company- Proprietor Pestonjee B. Press- Bombay, the interior upholstered in woven yellow and olive silk with dense foliate designs, upholstery worn, upper grey cover replaced otherwise carriage in good working condition
185in. (470cm.) long; 69in. (175cm.) wide, 82in. (208cm.) high

Provenance

Marc Perc Peretz Auctionhaus, Saarbrücken, Germany, 1973, where purchased by the present European owner.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

The bodywork of this carriage was certainly made in Bombay- the badge of the Fort Coach Company on the back of the cabin states this clearly. The decorative silver covering in thick sheet forming naturalistic flowers and animals such as birds worked in repoussé and with enamelled coloured highlights and areas of gold overlay, though exotic, seems more European than Indian in style. No expense has been spared in the decoration; the gold details are also executed in thick applied sheet rather than the plating one would normally expect to find. The colours of the enamels are also more varied than those normally found in India. Many of the working parts are decorated with or terminate in animals or animals' heads modelled in the round- swans, greyhounds, bulldogs. The latter certainly seems European- bulldogs in particular not being commonly found in India.

The distinctive coat of arms found in several places on the body, with the confronted bulls flanking a shield emblazoned with a golden eagle and surmounted by small dhow atop a helmet, demonstrate beyond doubt that this was commissioned for a Maharaja of Bhavnagar, formerly a princely state, now part of Gujarat, on the Gulf of Khambhat. The city of Bhavnagar, an important trading post for the cotton goods manufactured in Gujarat, was founded as a port in 1743. The motto in devanagari script reads manushya dhan- ishwar kripa /"man's wealth - (is) God's gift".

The carriage is relatively simply dismantled into its smaller component parts for ease of shipment.

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