PORTUGUESE COLONIAL OR INDIAN, LATE 17TH OR EARLY 18TH CENTURY

On the basis of style and construction, the present silver filigree casket can be related to another casket in the Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro, Oporto (Lisbon, op. cit., p. 212, no. 25), which is catalogued as being Indian and dating from the late 17th or early 18th century. The distinguishing features of both caskets are the very schematic and symmetrical floral motifs formed by the thicker wires and the way the fields they create are filled with much finer irregular scrolls. Also comparable are the formation of the rectangular panels to the front of each casket, where the central floral motif is framed by two thick rectangular borders sandwiching a compressed ribbon pattern. Very similar stylistic motifs and construction can also be found on the gold casket sold by Christie's London, 8 July 2008, lot 101, catalogued as Goanese and dating from the second half of the 17th century.