Chats on Old Copper and Brass

by Fred. W. Burgess

From Madras come bowls and water-bottles and many delightful trinket boxes, some shaped like fishes, others of bird-like forms. Some of these were intended for use as receptacles for antimony salve, which is so much used in India for the eyes. Among the more modern curios made during the latter half of the nineteenth century are spun and turned brasswork, especially vases and bowls. Travancore is also famous for its artists in metal, and especially for their beautiful decorative brass pots with curious spouts and drinking cups.

The little bullock bells are characteristic of many parts of India, some being prettily ornamented and of sweet tinkling sounds. From Southern India there are Betel-nut cutters of unusual forms, and quite a variety of metal bowls, some being shaped like a pumpkin. From the same district come highly decorative copper plaques and brass salvers as well as water vessels.

The lamps from India are of equal interest to those met with among the antiquities of similar types from other countries. Those of more recent date, the work of baptized natives, have for the chief ornament emblems of the Christian religion instead of those associated with idol worship; although in some instances the cross is flanked on either side with the sun and moon, reminding us of the more ancient pagan religions.

Many parts of India are noted for beautiful inlaid lac, much of which is extremely decorative; the vases illustrated in Fig. 67 came from Moradabad; they are of red-brown copper relieved with black lac. Haidarabad is also noted for such wares, in some instances red as well as black lac being used in the decorations, which are chiefly of conventional form.

The brasswork of Benares is well known, and it is still one of the most important features in present-day Oriental bazaars and shops. The modern work, however, rarely comes up to the old, for in olden time great care was taken in producing varied forms and correct ornament in decoration, the chief features of the Benares brasswork being the series of ten incarnations of Vishnu, represented so often on trays, bowls, and smaller vessels, such, for instance, as spice boxes and perfume holders, and receptacles for pulverized sandal-wood.

The native princes of India have always been accustomed to State ceremonial, and among the curious objects from that country are symbols of office, some of the maces being beautifully damascened with gold. The ceremonial and State swords formerly carried by the princes are museum curios of value, especially those around which the memories of historical events cluster, such as the gauntlet-sword of brass, the hilt in the form of a tiger's head, which formerly belonged to Ruggoneth Sookul, who saved Captain Gordon's life during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.

As it has been suggested wars with Oriental potentates and the annexation of lands which had previously been under British protection have from time to time enriched national as well as private collections. Many of the trophies of war are unique and do not exist in duplicate. In the Indian Museum there are many such objects, notably the one-time regalia of the Kings of Burma; at South Kensington, too, there is a massive bowl of brass on which is engraved in picture characters the story of the history of China as related by Confucius, and transcribed by his pupil Tso, five hundred years before the Christian era.

Lamaistic temple curios are referred to in another chapter. These, however, do not exhaust the metal-work from Thibet. Indeed, many of the minor objects, especially those of a domestic character, are very pleasing. The vessels used in making tea in Thibet differ from those in China—the home of tea-drinking—in that the process of preparing "the cup that cheers but not inebriates" is different. The ladies of Thibet take the tea-leaves and grind them dry until they are of the consistency of a fine powder, using a brass mortar for the purpose. They then put the powdered tea into a kettle, and allow it to boil for about five minutes. The liquid is afterwards poured through a strainer into a tea-urn, and a little butter and barley flour are added. This compound, after being vigorously churned up, is poured from the urn of wrought copper into teapots, where it is allowed to settle before it is served up in small brass bowls. Ladles are used for the purpose of taking the tea from the urn, for it has no tap, being simply a two-handled jar with a cover.

Some interesting curios are derived from Ceylon, especially those utensils made by the Sinhalese, who, it will be remembered, emigrated there from Bengal in the sixth century. The chief copper-workers in the island are the Veddahs, an aboriginal tribe of the interior closely allied to the Sinhalese. Their work includes copper and brass on which is very beautiful repoussé decoration. Buddhist influence has always been strong in Ceylon, and it is conspicuous in much of the decoration of the more important metal-work.

Ceylon casters have turned out some fine bells and many heavy bronze lamps. The lesser objects, which are varied, include brass boxes in which the lime for Betel chewing was kept. Some of these are circular, and others are pear-shaped, many being incised and inlaid with the more precious metals. Betel-nut cutters, similar to those from other parts of India, are among the collectable curios, those from Ceylon being especially interesting, for they frequently take the form of animals or of winged flying females. The objects enumerated do not by any means exhaust the metal curios from India and Ceylon, but they are among the chief features observable in a large collection, in the gathering together of which many small trinkets and perhaps unique sundries will be secured.