A rare early 20^th century Anglo – Indian silver table casket, Karachi circa 1920 by Soosania

Raj period. Of rectangular form with canted corners, the hinged stepped lid raised by a push button release, all upon four cast and applied lion paw feet. The lid with a central chased scene of a church with spire, probably Saint Andrew’s Church, Karachi, with various buildings and trees next to a waterway, the sky with two biplanes, all reserved within a shaped cartouche, reserved with Cutch type foliate scrolls with rosettes, all edge with stylised acanthus leaves. The sides with views of buildings and trees within shaped cartouches reserved with foliate scrolls, the corners with cutch style foliate scrolls and rosettes. Marked underneath SOOSANIA, T95, KARACHI.

Length – 22 cm / 8.6 inches

Height – 8.2 cm / 3.25 inches

Weight – 898 grams / 28.87 ozt

this mark is illustrated Wilkinson, W., (1999)., Indian Silver 1858-1947: Decorative Silver from the Indian Sub-Continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms. London, Wynyard R T Wilkinson, p. 92, fig. 146.