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Once they had arrived in India and Indonesia the Dutch quickly perceived the great social importance of the sirih-ceremony at the outset of any great dealings with Indonesian princes. It is recorded that commander Jan Willem Verschore was received in Bantam in 1626 by several important Javanese. Before they settled down to business they chewed a sirih quid as a priliminary1. The necessities for this ritual were usually presented to the guests on a silver dish or a shallow bowl as is discribed by Amoinensis Rumphius in his Herbarium of 1741. Besides the necessities to prepare a sirih quid "there should be", according to Rumphius, "a spittoon or cuspidoor, made of the same metal (silver), into the which one expectorates, though one finds this more among the Europeans, (who are more cleanly with their houses) than among the indians, who rarely spit out the Pinang"2. According to Veenendaal the Dutch and Chinese preffered cuspidors which had either little decoration or none at all, the Indonesians, used cuspidors with a great deal of chasing or with ornamentation that had been soldered on3. Cuspidors can vary in size considerably. The larger ones are usually made of brass, the smaller of silver. The latter examples were often carried by a slave-girl behind the owner, together with a sirih box4. Comparative literature: 1Veenendaal, J.,Furniture from Indonesia, Sri-Lanka and India, Delft, 1985, p.88 2Veenendaal, J., p.90 3Veenendaal, J., p.91 4Voskuil-Groenewegen, S.M., Zilver uit de tijd van de Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, Zwolle, 1999. See for example an engraving of the "Mestiessche Vrouw" in: Haafner, J., Reize in eenen palanquin, depicted in: Veenendaal, 1985, p.87

A Dutch Colonial silver spittoon

APPARENTLY UNMARKED, FORMER DUTCH EAST INDIES, LATE 18TH CENTURY

细节

A Dutch Colonial silver spittoon
Apparently unmarked, former Dutch East Indies, late 18th Century
On plain circular rim, the baluster body with long neck and everted border with rope rim
14.2cm. high
344gr.

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Christie's charge a buyer's premium of 20% (VAT inclusive) for this lot.

拍场告示

Please note that this lot is below legal alloy

拍品专文

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