A tazza, as a scallop shell with eagle's head "handle", successively mounted upon the backs of other animals, beige agate, India ? or more probably European, with European, gilt metal mounts

A tazza of unusual composition, the bowl being fashioned in sub-translucent, beige agate in the form of a scallop shell with an eagle's head "handle" mounted on the back of a gilt metal dragon which is itself standing upon the back of a gilt metal tortoise with black enamelled shell which is itself standing upon a contoured, oval stand of opaque, beige/grey agate which is mounted on the backs/shells of four gilt metal snails, as feet.

Wells Bequest

This tazza is a combination of agate components set into European metal mounts. The records state that the agate was of Indian manufacture but the style and workmanship is not typical. It is far more likely that the agate components are also of European manufacture, quite possibly German.

This tazza was acquired by Arthur Wells who was 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.

This tazza is of a most unusual form depicting both real and mythical creatures in a combination of stone and metalwork.

1563-1882