A Colonial silver two handled silver presentation cup and cover, Charles McAfee, Calcutta, circa 1855

campana form, the body embossed with the facade of Government House, Calcutta, leaf-capped double-scroll handles, detachable finial formed as a bunch of grapes

Wynyard R T Wilkinson, The Makers of Indian Colonial Silver, London, 1987, p.121.

Two grape vine leaves are lacking from the bunches of grapes on the rim, the reverse probably originally had an inscription but this was not existent when it was published in 1987, overall condition is good, a unique object.
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Charles McAfee is recorded by Wilkinson as working in partnership with Twentyman & Co. during the years 1846-1853. In 1853 he took over Twentyman & Co. and commenced trading under his own name until 1857 when he ceased trading.

From the mid-18^th century large numbers of European inhabitants in India were registered working as goldsmiths, silversmiths, watchmakers, clockmakers and jewellers. Some of these tradesman specialised in importing 'European silver' in to India, while other firms produced silver in India and either sold it locally, or exported it back to England where it was sold on through a local agent. From the 1780s onwards, there was a small area of respectable European shops in Calcutta which originally started in the China Bazaar, Lall Bazaar and Cositollah and later moved closer to Government House once it was opened in 1802 to include the environs of Old Court House Street, Council House Street and Tank Square where Charles McAfeen was registered in 1842.