Material

silver of 916/1000 (mainly silver and zinc alloy) or 925/000 (sterling standard)

Origin

Calcutta

Period

1919/1937

Silversmith

H & Co Ld. for Hamilton & Company Limited

Model

Crafting method

Mainly hand made

Dimension

Height:  2.5 cm; dimension 25.4 x 25.4 cm

Weight

773 g

Note

This salver was made in Calcutta (India) by Hamilton & Company, which was established by Robert Hamilton and others at the beginning of XIX century. Due to the fact that the British regulation on hallmarking was not in force in the British Colonies, immigrated silversmiths were use to mark the silverware with their trade mark and a series of pseudo-hallmarks similar to those used in England and Scotland for sterling silver (see British Colonial hallmaks).

Marks, struck in line on the border of the salver are: H & Co Ltd. (trade mark of Hamilton & Company Limited); an elephant, a roman capital A and the word "silver". These particular hallmarks were in use between 1919 and 1937 (see Hamilton & Company hallmarks). It is lakely that the letter A was the actually date letter for 1937.

The salver is of very good gauge and mainly hand made. It is not clear if at the date of crafting of this salver, silversmiths working in India were using the former alloy of 916/1000 purity or the sterling standard like in the U.K..

The salver has a plane and elegant art deco style, with square shape and a very simple decoration of the border. Also feet are very simple according to the art deco style.

The overall condition is very good.