Cup
1868 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This rock crystal bowl was made within the Mughal empire, probably in court workshops of Delhi or Lucknow, in the late 18th or early 19th century. It has been fashioned to a high standard, demonstrating it would have been produced for a person of significance. It was later acquired by the collector of Mughal and other Indian hardstones, Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie, an officer in the army of the East India Company. On his return to the UK, he offered his collection to the Indian Museum in London, but only part of it was purchased. These objects came to the South Kensington Museum in 1879 with the dispersal of the Indian Museum's collections. This small wine bowl was retained by Guthrie, and a jewelled gold footring was added to it in London, as shown by the engraved inscription: ROBERT PHILLIPS FECIT LONDON 1868 on the underside. The firm of Robert Phillips was in Cockspur Street. The wine bowl was auctioned at Christie's, London, in 1875 after Guthrie's death and bought by the South Kensington Museum. A second rock crystal bowl with a Phillips mount is also in the V&A: IM.328-1920 and also originally came from Guthrie's collection.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Rock crystal, gold, agate, green aventurine quartz, pink coral and enamel, fashioned using a variety of techniques. |
| Brief description | Wine bowl, circular, rock crystal, engraved, India (probably Delhi or Lucknow), with gold footring added in London, set with diamonds and other stones, dated 1868 |
| Physical description | A circular cup or bowl, fashioned to a high standard from rock crystal. It has a smooth interior with the exterior decorated with engraved, stylised flowers around the main body and leaf motifs in a band around the rim. The base is similarly decorated. All surfaces, including the engraved channels, have been polished. There are several, naturally occurring veils with a minor crack extending from one of these to the rim, as well as numerous two-phase inclusions (gas and liquid). The main decroation to the outer surface consists of six cusped and lobed cartouches, each containing an eight-petalled flower. Above this, divided by fillets, is a border of flower petals arranged in groups of three with their outer petals touching. At a later date, the cup has been mounted on a gold base set with faceted diamonds as well as cabochons of green aventurine, pink coral and brown agate with a single straight white band, which have all been aligned. There are also small, black enamelled elements. There is an inscription to the gold ring at the foot, relating to the London goldsmith/jeweller (Robert Phillips) and date of manufacture. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | The inscription to the metal base reads: "ROBERT PHILLIPS FECIT. LONDON 1868." |
| Object history | The bowl was made in India and was later mounted onto a gem-set gold base, by Phillips of Cockspur Street, London. In 1875, the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum) bought it from the auction of the Guthrie Collection (lot 160) for the sum of £61-0-0. The catalogue entry noted: "A small ditto [crystal basin], engraved with ornaments, and mounted in gold rim set with emeralds, corals, and onyx". RP 2527/75 |
| Summary | This rock crystal bowl was made within the Mughal empire, probably in court workshops of Delhi or Lucknow, in the late 18th or early 19th century. It has been fashioned to a high standard, demonstrating it would have been produced for a person of significance. It was later acquired by the collector of Mughal and other Indian hardstones, Colonel Charles Seton Guthrie, an officer in the army of the East India Company. On his return to the UK, he offered his collection to the Indian Museum in London, but only part of it was purchased. These objects came to the South Kensington Museum in 1879 with the dispersal of the Indian Museum's collections. This small wine bowl was retained by Guthrie, and a jewelled gold footring was added to it in London, as shown by the engraved inscription: ROBERT PHILLIPS FECIT LONDON 1868 on the underside. The firm of Robert Phillips was in Cockspur Street. The wine bowl was auctioned at Christie's, London, in 1875 after Guthrie's death and bought by the South Kensington Museum. A second rock crystal bowl with a Phillips mount is also in the V&A: IM.328-1920 and also originally came from Guthrie's collection. |
| Bibliographic reference | Vivienne Becker and Geoffrey Munn, "Robert Phillips. Underestimated Victorian Jewellery", Antique Collector, October 1983, 50-55. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 634-1875 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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