Wynyard Wilkinson's Top Picks

No. 1

Lot 54: An Indian Colonial silver child's mug, Francis Dormieux, Calcutta circa 1816 | Est. £250-350 (+ fees)

"I covet this mug by Francois Dormieux. The weight and proportion are just right, and the original engraved initials are still intact. Francois Dormieux’s workshop didn’t produce any work that was not absolutely top quality."

No. 2

Lot 55: An Indian Colonial silver saucepan and lid, John Hunt, circa 1810 | Est. £400-600 (+ fees)

"Indian Colonial silver curry pans (learn more) could be brought to the table using the long handle and then converted into a passable entrée dish by simply substituting a short handle for the long one.  Survivors with all three handles are rare. A true hybrid design specific to the requirements of the Raj. A personal favourite."

No. 3

Lot 56: An Indian Colonial silver opal pedestal milk jug, Patrick Moran & Co., circa 1830 | Est. £300-500 (+ fees)

"You just HAVE to hold this jug in your hands to appreciate the brilliance of the silversmithing skills that have gone into making it. Bold, tactile, and remarkably large by a very rare maker. A lovely piece of silver."

No. 4

Lot 58: An Indian Colonial silver milk pan, John Mair, Calcutta, circa 1800 | Est. £200-300 (+ fees)

"John Mair trained in Aberdeen before setting off to make his fortune in Calcutta, later retiring back to a genteel life in London. His holloware is always elegant and distinctively Anglo-Indian. Here, an early version of the saucepans most commonly used to boil milk to sterilise it in India."

No. 5

Lot 73: An Indian Colonial trophy cup and cover, Twentyman & Co., Calcutta, circa 1835 | Est. £1,000-1,500 (+ fees)

"If it is a good story you are after, here is one on a great, chunky Calcutta tankard by Twentyman & Co. Presents between military officers were quite commonplace in the first half of the c.19^th century and nowhere more popular than in India. Alas, the poor recipient never lived to return home in all his glory. Such was the price of Empire."

No. 6

Lot 91: An Indian silver cup and cover, Cutch, circa 1880 | Est. £80-120 (+ fees)

"As if to complete the story of Indian c.19^th silver, this lovely mug, with a lid to keep the flies out of the contents, represents the work of a skilled Bhuj, Cutch craftsman."

No. 7

Lot 60: An Indian Colonial silver campana cup and cover, Pittar & Co., circa 1838 | Est. £700-1,000 (+ fees)

"One might think that a pigeon club in Delhi in 1838 was established by East India Company officers looking for excuses to shoot birds to while away the hours, but that is not the case here. Carrier pigeons were an essential means of communication with headquarters, particularly when on campaign where land-delivered messages across often hostile territory might well be intercepted by the enemy."

No. 8

Lot 57: A pair of Indian Colonial silver cauldron salts, Mathies & Barron, Bombay, circa 1830 | Est. £300-500 (+ fees)

"Indian Colonial silver open salts are uncommon, as customers much preferred covered and more portable examples. This pair are well made and of a substantial weight, and a rare example made by the Bombay partnership of Mathies & Barron."

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Auction Details

Thursday 7 July | 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing in London (selected highlights):
• Monday 20 June: 10am-5pm
• Tuesday 21 June: 10am-5pm
• Viewing in Newbury (full sale):
• Sunday 3 July: 10am-2pm
• Monday 4 July: 10am-5pm
• Tuesday 5 July: 10am-5pm
• Wednesday 6 July: 10am-5pm
• Day of sale: no viewing
• Remote Viewing Service | Available from Sunday 3 July