Department: Decorative Art

This is a water vase or ‘lota’, made in Poona, Bombay, in the late 1800s. This cup, along with several other artefacts, was purchased at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886. With assistance from the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A), Sheffield Museum was able to acquire a number of pieces to illustrate the finest metalworking from India. This vase was made in India whilst under British rule. It was probably made for the exhibition as an example piece. The vase is made of brass decorated with a chased design with leaves and scrolls. Chasing is a metalwork technique where a raised design is created by careful hammering on the reverse.