Lot Essay
Pratapgarh vessels exemplified in the present dish are the result of a very elaborate technique of manufacture. The technique, which is said to have been the secret of one family in Pratapgarh, involves numerous successive steps. A silver frame of the required shape is first created which will be used as a mount for the glass panels. Coloured glass is then cut to fit the small compartments of the mount. Gold foil of the size of the glass panels is cut and laid down on a wax bed in order to draw, punch and incise the design. Once the design completed, the gold foil is fused to the glass surface through a complicated process involving the heating of the glass on a sheet of mica. The panels, whose brilliance is sometimes enhanced with shiny foil placed underneath, are finally inserted into the silver mount (The Arts of India, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, London, 2001, p. 436-37).
Scenes of courtly life, hunting scenes or representations of Hindu deities are traditionally depicted on 19th century Pratapgarh vessels.
Scenes of courtly life, hunting scenes or representations of Hindu deities are traditionally depicted on 19th century Pratapgarh vessels.