
Codie Lyons
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Oomersee Mawjee (ca. 1860 – ca. 1930) was born to a cobbler in Gujarat on the Western coast of India -– his experience engraving leather a clear influence of his ornate silversmithing. Mawjee's exceptional skills were quickly recognized, and by 1860 the Maharaos of Kutch and the Maharajas of Baroda appointed him silversmith to their royal courts. By 1878, Mawjee and his son participated in the Parisian Exposition Universelle garnering them international fame and impressive retail partnerships.
This tea service exemplifies Mawjee's ornate and precise metalworking. Each piece is a microcosm of India's landscape depicted through rich repoussé and arabesque designs. Lush foliage serves as a backdrop to several animalier vignettes of boars, tigers, deer, and a variety of other creatures battling. Snakes weave around the figural branch handles of each piece of the set, and the teapot's spout is formed as the noble bust of a costumed elephant while a small marching elephant sits atop the lid.
Mawjee's craftmanship is timeless and works by the accomplished silversmith are currently part of the collections of distinguished museums such as the Victoria & Albert.