A PRECIOUS-STONE-INLAID JASAILMER-STONE CARVING OF A TIGER

India, 20th century

India, 20th century
The recumbent creature expertly carved with the natural striations of the stone resembling the tiger's stripes, inlaid with four pearls, two emeralds, and one ruby. 4.2cm (1 5/8in) long.

印度，二十世紀 石雕嵌寶石虎

Provenance:
Parry Collection, London, and thence by descent

來源：
倫敦Parry家族收藏，並由後人保存迄今

The kundan setting used in the present lot, is the technique most closely associated with the jewelled arts of the Mughal Emperors. By using pure, soft, 24-carat gold (kundan), the goldsmith can set gemstones directly into fragile enamelled surfaces, or into engraved gem materials, such as nephrite jade and rock crystal. The Jaisalmer stone used to carve this tiger is also used in the hilts of daggers. See for example, a Jaisalmer-hilted koftgari steel dagger, north India, 17th and 19th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 19 April 2016, lot 182.

本例鑲嵌寶石所用之「昆丹」工藝，是一種印度獨有的金匠工藝，曾大量用於莫臥兒王朝投資者的珠寶製作。極具延展性的高質量24K金黃金，即「昆丹」，經過錘擊形成纖薄的薄片，後被切割成條狀，再使用鐵筆將其壓入至預期位置，在各種物料的表面上成為精緻的鑲座。由此，金匠可以將寶石直接鑲嵌在易碎的琺瑯表面或軟玉、水晶等材料中。用於製作老虎主體的賈沙梅爾石（Jaisalmer）也可見於匕首手柄，如一例印度北部十七至十九世紀石雕手柄鋼刀，售於倫敦邦瀚斯於2016年4月19日，拍品編號182。