Indian Silver Madras Tea Set

Three-Piece ‘Swami-ware’ Silver Tea Set

This three-piece tea set of good weight is of high-grade, thickly cast and beaten silver. The tea pot has a lion finial. The handle and spout, together with the spout of the creamer, are decorated with fine, leafy rococo styling.

Each of the three pieces is decorated with cartouches of stylised Hindu gods. Such decoration is typical of colonial Madras silverwork and became known as ‘swami-ware’ – ‘swami’ because of the decorative themes based on Hindu deities and the associated festival processions.

The creamer and the sugar bowl sit on flattened ball feet. The handle of the tea pot has two ivory insulators. The set is without maker’s marks.

Overall, this is a high quality set, in excellent condition, and with surprising weight in the hand.

Dehejia, V., Delight in Design: Indian Silver for the Raj, Mapin, 2008.

UK art market