The story of this vase began far-away, in Mid-Twentieth Century India. Its life became even more interesting—if not a bit more glamorous—when it traveled half-way around the world to represent its country at the 1964 NYC World's Fair. After being loaded onto a cargo ship in Bombay (now called Mumbai), it sailed across the Arabian Sea, into the Gulf of Aden, and up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. Once it hit the Mediterranean Sea, it sailed West, across the full breadth of the Mediterranean, and out the Straits of Gibraltar into the Atlantic. Now it sailed straight-on to New York—and the World's Fair!
When I purchased this vase, the elderly owner recounted how she had received it as a wedding gift in 1965—from a friend who had found it while visiting the New York World's Fair. At that point, India had been independent (from the United Kingdom) for 17 years—and she was keen to show the world how far she had come on her own. India built an impressive, Modernist pavilion for the fair and filled it with interesting exhibits: art, history, technology and industry. Its theme was "Progress Through Democracy." Naturally, the Indian Pavillion boasted a gift shop which purveyed interesting Indian handcrafts and souvenirs which the public could buy. The organizers also brought a range of important Indian antiquities for sale, some of them 1,800 years old. A New York Times article lists several Second-through-Tenth Century Indian stone carvings on-offer, priced between $800 and $6,000. 30 miniature watercolor paintings were priced from $500 to $1,000. And important wooden carvings (including a portion of a temple wall) were brought in-search of purchasers. The organizer commented that she hoped that some American museums would be interested in acquiring some of these important works. And plenty of contemporary handcrafts, like the vase above, were offered for sale, too. When the fair concluded, any remaining antiques and gift items were moved to a permanent storefront shop at 11 East 55th Street.
The vase above is made in the Nakkashi manner. The heavy brass vase—which, itself, is a classic Indian form—was hand etched and chiseled, creating deep furrows into which the colorful, enamel-like polychroming was applied. Once cured, excess enamel could be ground-down which revealed the high points of the delicate brass under-design. In its earliest days, the brass was probably shiny and bright. While the vase could be polished now, it would be a shame to destroy the rich, even patination which has accumulated over the decades. It's a very handsome vase, involving a great amount of artistry and effort, and it has a romantic and interesting backstory. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.