Interesting example of Indian metalwork, with OT quiz!

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by olikara

Gene,

The piece is certainly interesting. The abbreviated inscriptions are quite intriguing too. Why would someone put them there? Almost certainly, the item was made to order.

T.M.A. is of course Taj Mahal Agra.

M.O.T.O.D. I have no clue yet but the last character 'D' suggests it is a Delhi monument. The outer facade of the building looks Western to me and the obelisk in front leads me to believe it may be a Mutiny memorial or related monument.

J.M.D. is the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory at Delhi made in the early 18th century.

S.O.f.T.M.A may expand as 'Screen ? ? Taj Mahal Agra'. The decoration is without doubt the screen around Mumtaz Mahal's tomb in the Taj Mahal at Agra.

Nidhi

Hi Nidhi

Fantastic work you've done there!
I think that 'S.O.f.T.M.A' is 'Shrine Of Taj Mahal Agra'.
I was wondering if it was part of the 'TMA' or some other mauseleum, brilliant job finding it for me!
Now, as for the JMD, I was completely looking in the wrong direction for that one and wouldn't have found it in a million years of googling! Thank you so much for that
I'm drawing a total blank on the 'MOTOD' I think you are on to something with the western influence..........
You think the piece was a special order?
Thats interesting, I wonder why?
Thanks for all your help, truly appreciated.
Regards
Gene

[olikara]

Originally Posted by Atlantia

You think the piece was a special order?
Thats interesting, I wonder why?

Gene,

When we found it difficult to decipher the abbreviations ourselves, I doubt if the average Englishman of that time would have better luck!!

This must have been a commisioned piece maybe, for someone who came back to 'Old Blighty' after a long sojourn in India around the Delhi-Agra corridoor.

Nidhi

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by olikara

Gene,

When we found it difficult to decipher the abbreviations ourselves, I doubt if the average Englishman of that time would have better luck!!

This must have been a commisioned piece maybe, for someone who came back to 'Old Blighty' after a long sojourn in India around the Delhi-Agra corridoor.

Nidhi

Hi Nidhi,

Thats a very good point about the abbreviations.
And the commision ideas. I could do with a 'long sojourn' in India myself!
The pictures of the observatory and Taj are so close to photgraphs that I wonder if the artist worked from souvenier postcards to produce them?
I mean, its not such a suprise with the Taj itself, or the shrine, but the observatory is an uncanny resemblance to the photograph you found, even the angle is the same.
The last picture is a puzzle...
I've been thinking about the initials 'M.O.T.O.D'
If the first word is monument, and the last Delhi, one of the O's could be Obelisk?
Here's a better pic with some barrel distortion removed to flatten it a bit.

It looks like a barracks or fort in some ways.


Regards
Gene