Gold spoon, chased and engraved on the back of the bowl; the back of the bowl and stem set with emeralds, rubies and diamonds in kundan settings, and with a large facetted diamond on the knop; the core filled with lac, a natural resin. Mughal empire, ca. 1600

The spoon of European form is of gold with a core of lac. The stones covering the back of the bowl and all sides of the stem are rubies, emeralds and diamonds, set with diamonds along the edge of the bowl and in the knop.

Purchased from the dealer Mr Imre Schwaiger

Bought in 1910 from the dealer Imre Schwaiger for £353. This object was part of a collection of Indian and Tibetan art objects that was purchased in 1910 from Mr. Imre Schwaiger, a well-known London and Delhi based dealer. The whole collection was bought for £1000.
Imre Leonard Schwaiger was a well-respected dealer of gems, jewellery and eastern works of art. He was of Hungarian descent and, as a young man, he travelled to India where he became an expert in appraising them, later becoming the foremost dealer and agent in such objects.
He built up a list of important clients and he was friends with Jacques Cartier, looking after Cartier"s interests in Delhi and acting as the company"s agent in the purchase of gems, jewellery and objets d'art. Schwaiger was also responsible for introducing Cartier to all of the maharajas and other royals during his visit to India for the Delhi Durbar in 1911.
Imre Schwaiger developed a close working relationship with both the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum, assisting them with a number of acquisitions. He also generously donated a number of valuable objects to both institutions."

Purchased from the dealer Mr Imre Schwaiger, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, and 25, Brook Street, London W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

RP 1910- 3039M

This unique ceremonial spoon was made within the Mughal empire, almost certainly in the court workshops, in about 1600. It is made of gold but is not solid. Its core is lac, the natural resin used in most gold artefacts made in the Indian subcontinent. The form is influenced by Europe, but the technique of setting the stones which relies on using the purest gold (kundan), is indigenous and apparently unique to the subcontinent. The stones covering the back of the bowl and all sides of the stem are rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It was bought by the museum in 1910 from the well-known Hungarian dealer based in India, Imre Schwaiger, for £353. The dealer had close links with princely families across India.

IM.173-1910