Small metal jug

Hi
Wondering if anyone can help me with some information about this small metal jug, there are no hallmarks. It looks really ornate, so wondering if it is worth anything. Any info on it's origins would be gratefully received. Also, should I try to clean it?
Many thanks

 

When it's morning in The Netherlands, sure Any Jewelry will have information to share. In the meantime, do not clean. You will risk removing patina and harming value. You might post some additional photographs, however. The other side (if the design differs, the handle and the bottom.)

Debora

 

Thank you Debora. I've attached some more photos.

 

Thank you.

Debora

 

This is probably silver, guessing Sri Lanka?

 

Present, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Well, maybe not that last bit....

Lovely little jug. I don't know the size, but it could have been part of a milk and sugar set.
It was made in Myanmar when it was still Burma. The snake handle is a very nice detail.
If you give it a bit of a clean you may find that it is silver, so I give you the go ahead for a gentle clean. Nothing drastic please, a wash in soapy water and a wipe with a silver polishing cloth will do.

 

I'm pretty sure this is Indian (not Burmese), the cobra handle and villager scene is a favourite of the Kutch region. It is probably from a tea set originally and it is most likely early 20th century, pre WW2.

They can be silver, but they are also commonly silver plated or made from very low grade (melted rupees) silver, so you need to test it to be sure. The ones made from rupee silver often makes the acid go red to start then turns a blue/green colour due to the high copper content.

If it is silver in the UK a small cream jug like this is £50-100 depending on condition or quality.

 

I'd thought Indian, too.

 

Though similar scenic motif pieces were produced in Burma, this one looks Indian to me as well, though I'd expect Kutch silver to be a bit 'busier' - with the relatively simple 'working village' scene, might consider Calcutta...


Several similar scenes are on Harish Patel's Indian silver site:
http://silverfromindia1850-1920.blogspot.com/p/calcutta.html



https://issuu.com/mapin/docs/delight_in_design/s/11022582



~Cheryl

 

Not Kutch, I have a mild addiction to Kutch silver, and a small collection. It is more Islamic in style, with a lot of scrollwork.

I did consider that option too, it is the same general area. These village scenes went from Burma to the adjoining part of eastern India, to Calcutta and a bit further south.

Given the yellow colour, I still don't know if it actually is silver, although the detail certainly looks the part.

 

The cobra handle and the coconut tree (or is it a palm tree of the non-coconut type ?) made me think India .

 

I hadn't even noticed it was a cobra, but you're right, it has those flat side things in its neck.

I think it is a palm tree of the coconut type.