Not currently on display at the V&A

Lampshade

1800 to 1882 (made)
Place of origin

This lampshade combines two skilled crafts of India in the 19th century, lapidary work and silversmithing. The stone raw materials were, and continue to be, abundant locally and were used to produce many items of ornamental and also functional use.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver - beaten, chased and soldered. Agates - cut and polished using abrasives.
Brief description
Lampshade, consisting of six chased and hinged, silver panels, each being inset with three large, oval or rectangular agate plaques, India, 19th century
Physical description
A lampshade consisting of six chased and hinged silver panels with each bearing two silver balls on the same end. Each panel is inset with three large, polished oval or rectangular/octagonal agate plaques of varied colour and pattern.
Dimensions
  • 1549 1882 length: 202 to 203mm (+/- 0.5) (Note: Length range of panels, excluding the balls)
  • 1549 1882 width: 82 to 84mm (+/- 0.5) (Note: Width range of panels, excluding the hinge)
  • 1549 1882 diameter: 10.5 to 11.5mm (Note: Diameter range of the silver balls)
  • 1549 1882 length: 80.2mm (+/- 1.0) (Note: Estimated length of largest oval agate plaque)
  • 1549 1882 width: 58.1mm (+/- 1.0) (Note: Estimated width of largest oval agate plaque)
Credit line
Wells Bequest
Object history
This lampshade was made in India in the 19th century and was acquired by Mr. Arthur Wells, a Nottingham solicitor and Clerk of the Peace. He was a keen traveller and was made a Fellow of the Geographical Society. He is considered to be the first private British collector of Chinese jade and his collection of jade and other hardstone objects from South Asia was on exhibition at the South Kensington Museum at the time of his death in 1882. This collection was left to the museum in his will - the Wells Bequest.
Summary
This lampshade combines two skilled crafts of India in the 19th century, lapidary work and silversmithing. The stone raw materials were, and continue to be, abundant locally and were used to produce many items of ornamental and also functional use.
Collection
Accession number
1549-1882

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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