NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A GROUP OF GEMSET AND ENAMELLED GOLD PARROTS
NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY
Each of the four birds with long tails, green bodies, red heads, and ruby-set eyes, two of the parrots with extended combs, each bird perched on a branch of a tree with a diamond-set end, one side of the tree trunk with a band of scrolling floral vine, the stepped conical base with bands of scrolling floral vine, the lower band with inset diamond-set vine, the underside of the base with a plain gold plaque
5¼in. (13.2cm.) high

Special notice

Items which contain rubies or jadeite originating in Burma (Myanmar) may not be imported into the U.S. Please be advised that a purchasers inability to import any such item into the U.S. or any other country shall not constitute grounds for non-payment or cancellation of the sale. With respect to items that contain any other types of gemstones originating in Burma (e.g., sapphires), such items may be imported into the U.S., provided that the gemstones have been mounted or incorporated into jewellery outside of Burma and provided that the setting is not of a temporary nature (e.g., a string). These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 20%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. Where applicable Customs duty will be charged (per rate specified by HMRC guidance) on the Hammer price and VAT will be payable at 20% on duty. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Lot Essay

A closely related enamelled parrot dated to the 19th century is in the National Museum in New Delhi, (Rita Devi Sharma and M. Varadarajan, Handcrafted Indian Enamel Jewellery, New Delhi, 2008, p.70). Like ours, the New Delhi parrot has very fine regular strapwork texture underneath the enamel enriching the surface of the birds. An exceptionally large enamelled and gem-set parrot was sold in these Rooms, 5 October 2010, lot 50. Another 19th century example of comparable size was sold in these Rooms, 23 September 2005, lot 131.

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