PAIR OF PEPPER CASTORS  - CALCUTTA 1860 - 1914

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Figure 1                                                                                                           Figure 2

Figure 3                                                                                                           Figure 4


Material

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

Origin

Calcutta

Period

1860 - 1914

Silversmith

H & Co per Hamilton & Company

Model

 

Crafting method

Mainly hand made

Dimension

Height: 5.6 cm; section 3.7 cm

Weight

 64 and 65 g respectively (total 129 g)

Note

 

This pair of pepper castors have been 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 iBritish Colonial hallmaks).

Marks, struck underneath the peppers are: H & Co (trade mark of Hamilton & Company); an elephant and a roman capital A. These particular hallmarks have been in use between 1860 and 1914 (see Hamilton & Company hallmarks). Near the hallmarks there is engraved Hamilton & Co. Jewellerrs Calcutta.

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

The castors have a plane and essential shape with no decorations, apart the engraved word PEPPER. Both are gilded inside and they differ from each other only for the diameter of the holes in the lids.

The overall condition is very good.

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