20th May, 2026 11:00
Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026
54
A SMALL THEWA BOX, PRATAPGARH, RAJASTHAN, 19TH CENTURY
silver, with hinged lid, set with foiled green glass panels, inlaid with gold, each with a design of scrolling ferns, the interior gilded, 2 x 6.8 x 4.7cm
Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022)
The technique of inlaying coloured glass with engraved gold foil, known as thewa, is unique to the town of Parthabgarh (now Pratapgarh). Only one family, the Sonis, has held the secret of this complex and time consuming work. Although most examples in museums and collections date from the second half of the 19th century, it is thought to have been made since the 18th century and continues to this day. For a full account of the history and detail of the technique, see Untracht 1997, p.300-303.
Sold for £360
silver, with hinged lid, set with foiled green glass panels, inlaid with gold, each with a design of scrolling ferns, the interior gilded, 2 x 6.8 x 4.7cm
Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022)
The technique of inlaying coloured glass with engraved gold foil, known as thewa, is unique to the town of Parthabgarh (now Pratapgarh). Only one family, the Sonis, has held the secret of this complex and time consuming work. Although most examples in museums and collections date from the second half of the 19th century, it is thought to have been made since the 18th century and continues to this day. For a full account of the history and detail of the technique, see Untracht 1997, p.300-303.
Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026
The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956). Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.
Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
Auction Location: London, UK
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
