A mid century silver box by Hamilton & Co of Calcutta, India. This historic silversmiths set up in India right back in 1808 and the company persisted until the 1970's. They were known for high quality work and of course produced items for wealthy colonialists of the 19th and early 20th century. This example is a shallow box probably for cigarettes to be used as a desk box. It has the Hamilton & Co mark and the Calcutta hallmark for 1958. There is also a dedication to the inside of the lid reading: 'To S. Matthew from The Workshop Employees on his retirement Talap 1959' - Talap is in Kerala, India. The box is surprisingly heavy for it's size and contains a lot of silver for this type of item. The sides are heavily chased in leaf forms and the top has mallard ducks in flight. The lid also has an interesting effect with horizontal ribbing fading out from the base upwards.

Condition

Normal period wear with the odd minor indent and light surface scratches as expected.

Measurements (Approx)

Length: 15.2 cm ( 6 inch )
Depth: 8.2 cm ( 3 1/4 inch )
Weight: 304 grams (before packing)

Stock Code: 1537 JN19-1