- Title
- Creamer
- Date Made
- circa 1890
- Medium
- Parcel-gilt silver, repoussé and chased; black lac ground
- Dimensions
- 4 1/4 × 3 1/4 × 4 1/4 in. (10.8 × 8.26 × 10.8 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2013.220.11
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
The creamer or cream jug is an indispensable component of tea and coffee sets made for Western consumption. Both beverages were introduced into England and the Continent by the mid-17th century. The earliest extant English creamers date from the early 18th century. By the early 19th century, European and colonial creamers had evolved into a variety of decorative styles, including zoomorphic vessels.
This creamer has a bulbous body with an everted lip and extended spout. It is supported by globular feet with a chased shell pattern. The ear-shaped handle has striations on the outer surfaces, perhaps remnants of its serpentine stylistic origin, and scroll terminals. It is decorated with the Kashmiri "mosaic" pattern, which is said to recall Mughal hardstone inlay. The pattern, more properly termed a technique, involves the use of an applied black lac ground to highlight the variable design elements. The primary decoration on the body consists of lobed cartouches enclosing large stylized floral motifs, including an iris. They are set against a lush background of flowering sprigs, such as typically utilized in Kashmiri wares exhibiting the "shawl" or "paisley" pattern. A wide border below the rim features a flowering vine scroll. The interior is gilded.