A CENTRAL ASIAN ENAMELLED AND NIELLOED SILVER TRAY
Bukhara, Central Asia, pre-Russian Protectorate, mid to late 19th century

Of circular shape, with an everted cusped rim enhanced with beading on the outer edge, the central medallion reading in Arabic characters Bukhara-ye Sharif ('The Noble Bukhara') in nielloed work, the tray engraved and enamelled in green, light and dark blue, the decoration consisting of a central four-pointed star in-filled with rosette blooms, and surrounded by interlocking rosette and lotus sprays with foliate trellis on the tray and around the rim, 32cm diam.

Although the Emirate of Bukhara with its capital Bukhara and its major city Samarkand would not fall under the Russian protectorate until 1873, it is undeniable that the style, design, decorative techniques and enamel hues of this dish are heavily influenced by the well-established 18th and 19th-century industry of Russian enamelled and nielloed silver vessels. The main substantial difference here is the preference for champlevé enamelling instead of cloisonné, in line with Kashmiri and North Indian enamelled vessels.