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Small casket
Early 18th century
India
Silver, filigree, gilding, emeralds
and rubies
Length 9 cm, width 7 cm, height
6.2 cm
Acquired in 1789 from the
Winter Palace main collection
The small octagonal casket with a hinged lid with two side
chains and with a lock rests on eight feet. The casket is completely made
of openwork thinnest filigree with a design of "commas"
combined into circles and spirals. The thicker wires are gilded. Each
side is decorated with an emerald or ruby. The stones are deepened into
the gilded metal sheet. Such technique of fixing stones was spread in
India and is named kundan. The metal sheets are glued on coloured paste.
Other objects in silver filigree decorated with precious stones are unknown.
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