Satrandsh" teapot

Satrandsh" teapot

Central Asia, Kokand, 19th century

Of slender copper form resting on a flared foot, with a prominent zoomorphic handle, a slender, elegant spout and a hinged, openwork lid topped by a lotus bud finial. The six-sided body is densely guilloched all over and chased with fine Timurid-influenced floral arabesques. Each of the six sides is decorated with an applied engraved teardrop-shaped cartouche secured by copper rivets, on which another teardrop-shaped plate is affixed. Signature on the handle: "'amal...." H. 30 cm These teapots, of a type that appeared in the 18th century, were made from Central Asia to China. Brought back to Europe in large numbers by explorers, they have been little studied. In 1974, S. Westphal-Hellbusch subdivided production into three categories, with "satrandsh" referring to flat-faced teapots. In his study, J. Kalter suggests that drop-shaped cartridges are typical of Kokand production (in Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road, Thames & Hudson, 1997. p. 325). The Khanate of Kokand was created in 1709 when a local emir declared his independence from the Khanate of Bukhara. The city of Kokand was transformed into a capital with a citadel, and was an important stopover on the caravan routes between China and India. A trade treaty made Kokand a vassal state of Russia in 1868. The Khanate of Kokand was declared abolished in 1876. For a similar, earlier model, see Michael Backman, Inventory no.: 789. Provenance : Jean-Charles Tauzin Collection (1889-1957) A signed kettle, Central Asia, Kokand,19th century