A gem-set jade pendant, India, mid-19th century
the light jade plaque set in the kundan technique with diamonds, emeralds and rubies designed as a fine floral spray, the top with horizontal drill hole, mounted with gold chain, fitted in a bespoke, velvet-lined box with 'Hamilton & Co.' insignia.
Provenance: By repute, James Andrew Broun-Ramsay (1812-60), 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, Governor-General of India (1848-56).
Thence by descent.
Note: This charming pendant was carved in the nineteenth century, drawing on an earlier Mughal style, and is characterised by a floral design composed of colourful gemstones set in gold mounts on a piece of carved jade. Later fitted with a gold chain, the pendant and chain both fit into a custom-made box containing the insignia of 'Hamilton & Co.', which had been founded by English silversmith Robert Hamilton (1772-1848) upon his arrival in India in 1808. The company became one of the best known and celebrated British silversmiths working in India, and is known to have supplied a number of works to Lady Dalhousie, further attesting to the provenance of the present piece. One of the most famous gemstones in the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London is the 105 carat 'Koh-i-Noor' diamond, sent to Queen Victoria in 1849 by Lord Dalhousie.
Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, 26 Apr 2017, 10:30 AM