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Salt cellar from Africa or Asia??? Or???

Posted: Mon May 06, 2019 3:42 pm
by WolfFrog
So I found this little item at a thrift store in New England. I believe its a salt cellar but I could be wrong. It has no visible marks anywhere at all and I've gone over it with a fine tooth comb. I actually am not even sure if it is silver or not but I am guessing that it is. In my short time collecting silver I have never seen anything like it design wise. Does anyone have insight.

https://imgur.com/T8tqWvq
https://imgur.com/Zu71qki
https://imgur.com/EJ8VGpX
https://imgur.com/GrecoA1
https://imgur.com/xmhMvYe

Re: Salt cellar from Africa or Asia??? Or???

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 7:01 am
by Aguest
I would think it to be from India around the turn of the 20th century :: You might try to search for "Colonial Indian Silver" for similar examples and there is a region called "Kutch" which might help refine the search ::: The handles have been raising questions for me, if that specific lizard (snake?) could be identified, it might help to narrow down exactly where this piece is from, those lizards could lead us to the solution as to where this piece was made :

My best guess is India just based on the pieces I have both handled in person and read about and seen pics of :::::

Re: Salt cellar from Africa or Asia??? Or???

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 5:43 pm
by Traintime
How about the Komodo Dragon, an Indonesian monitor lizard?

Re: Salt cellar from Africa or Asia??? Or???

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 2:10 pm
by WolfFrog
Thanks so much for your reply. I think you may be on to something. Its the first good lead I have had. I found some plates with a similar theme on eBay but the seller did not share any info about their source. They were just a pawn shop or estate sale dealer or something. Using your tips I did find one pot from India with a lizard handle. I too was interested in the lizards. There seems to be an actual snake on the piece too, not pictured in embedded images but I think in links that didn't embed. I think they are monitor lizards or Komodo dragons as another user said. Someone on another site had a different lizard in mind but I didn't tend to see the resemblance. I am busy today but will look for that name later. Here is a photo of the only other lizard handled silver vessel I have come upon thanks to your tip.

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Aguest wrote:I would think it to be from India around the turn of the 20th century :: You might try to search for "Colonial Indian Silver" for similar examples and there is a region called "Kutch" which might help refine the search ::: The handles have been raising questions for me, if that specific lizard (snake?) could be identified, it might help to narrow down exactly where this piece is from, those lizards could lead us to the solution as to where this piece was made :

My best guess is India just based on the pieces I have both handled in person and read about and seen pics of :::::

Re: Salt cellar from Africa or Asia??? Or???

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 2:11 pm
by WolfFrog
Those were my best guesses as well. Thanks!
Traintime wrote:How about the Komodo Dragon, an Indonesian monitor lizard?