A silver and gilt pandan set with tray, India, late 18th century

Private Italian collection, purchased from an international exposition in Milan in 1968 

inscriptions

‘Muhammad ‘Abd al-Jabbar’ (unidentified)

Here the silver body has been cast and chased and then gilded. The distinctive indented tear-drop pattern is also seen on the darbar set formerly in the collection of Robert Clive of India at Powis Castle (Archer et al. 1987, no.86) and on an eighteenth century rosewater sprinkler in the V&A that was taken from the treasury of Tipu Sultan in 1799 (Stronge 2009, no.51). The tear-drop motif catches the light, giving the illusion of a surface set with diamonds, creating a 'gaudy sumptuousness', that Zebrowski said represented the tastes of the European 'nabobs' who were flocking to India at the time (Zebrowski 1997, p.49). Other comparable pandan sets that date from the eighteenth century are illustrated in Terlinden 1987, p.137 & 141. Another was sold in these rooms, 9 October 2013, lot 241.

The chewing of betel, or pan, has a long history in India and other parts of South Asia. Usually consumed after meals, pan consists of small pieces of betel nut usually mixed with lime paste and spices and wrapped in a betel leaf. Consumption of pan was part of court etiquette and enjoyed by the ruling class and the aristocracy. It was considered an honour to be offered pan at a durbar gathering in the presence of the ruler. The term pandan means a container for betel. By the nineteenth century pandans had compartments for the various ingredients necessary for the preparation of pan.