19thC Antique Gold & Silver Koftgari Inlaid Cast Iron Indo Persian Indian Frame
19th Century Antique Gold & Silver Koftgari Inlaid Cast Iron Indo-Persian Indian Frame Exceedingly rare and very fine picture (or mirror) frame inlaid with gold and silver. Excellent condition with no missing pieces. This is true original Koftgari work and not a painted version / copy or reproduction. The frame is currently used as a picture frame, but a mirror could quite easily be inserted into the opening.
Dimensions Frame size: 25 x 15 cm Opening: 14 x 9 cm Koftgari. The art of koftgari (Indian damascening) closely resembles the damascening found in Persia. This coveted art form was extolled by Sikligar community (found in the states of Gujrat, Punjab and Haryana in India) who handcrafted exquisitely ornamented yet functional arms for the Rajputs and Mughals.
Koftgari is now practiced by the artisans of Udaipur region of. The base for koftgari artwork is a hard metal like steel, iron or bronze and the inlay is a soft metal like gold or silver. This combination prevents the base from deforming when the wire inlay is hammered into the surface and results in the inlaid areas being well-defined and of sharp appearance. The base metal is first scratched with a knife (chirni) in a very close cross-hatch pattern. Then fine silver wire is inlaid with the help of a pointed tool called salai in the etched grooves to make outline for the patterns. After this, the main design is filled with gold or silver wires. Once the motifs are filled, the outlining silver wires are removed and melted for reuse.The article is then patinated by holding it over a charcoal fire until the desired purple-black colour is attained. It is then polished with hakik (agate) stone and quenched and treated with vegetable oil to preserve the colour. Designs that use both gold and silver wires are called ganga-jamuna koftgari.
During the Mughal and Rajput rule, the craftsmen often adorned swords, shields, armors, helmets, knives and daggers for the royals. Koftgari handcrafted products are amazing stand-out pieces of art with intricate patterns and incredible style. This unique, magnificent and regal craft is amour-propre of India and every piece is a treasure on its own. The item "19thC Antique Gold & Silver Koftgari Inlaid Cast Iron Indo Persian Indian Frame" is in sale since Monday, August 14, 2017. This item is in the category "Antiques\Decorative Arts\Picture Frames".
The seller is "dr_woolacott" and is located in Luzern. This item can be shipped worldwide.- Style: Asian
- Age: 1850-1899
- Primary Material: Cast Iron
- Original/Reproduction: Original
- Country/Region of Origin: India