Antique 18th Century Silver Gilt Filigree Indian Royal Scepter Mace Mughal India

Antique silver-gilt and filigree (Chandi Tarakasi) Indian Royal ceremonial scepter mace (chob), 18th century, Mughal India.

The mace is composed of many separate elements of silver, including a spherical gilt silver head (hollow inside) covered by intricate lattice filigree work decorated with garland and flowers enclosed at the bottom and the top by gilded silver rosettes and surmounted at the top with a gilt silver bulbous finial (hollow inside).

The baluster shape handle is made of hollow gilt silver, wrapped with intricate lattice filigree work, decorated with a floral pattern, en suite with the head covered with gilt silver rosette, topped by hollowed gilt silver oval collar within lattice filigree work.

The base of the handle ends with a button-shaped pommel.

All these parts are connected by a central silver rod screwed into the top of the finial.

The ceremonial mace played a key role in ceremonies as a symbol of power, authority, and military prowess, often appearing in 17th-18th century Indian miniature paintings depicting court scenes of the grand Mughal and Maharaja's Court. These paintings of the Mughal court reveal that the ceremonial maces-scepters (chob) were made in many different forms and of various luxurious materials.

Historically, regalia have been considered as symbols of royalty and power. These items, which include crowns, scepters, and other ceremonial objects, were always designed to be unique and were custom-made only once for a particular ruler.

Only a few of these items have survived to this day, and this piece is a rare surviving example. This mace is an elaborate, gilded, silver filigree work probably created by a Muslim silversmith in Karimnagar, Deccan.

REFERENCES: The shape of this mace is comparable to the Indian Mughal (circa 1600 AD) ceremonial wooden mace overlaid with a mother of pearl from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London collection.

Please see the link below:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70868/mace-chob-unknown/

MEASUREMENTS:

Overall length: 25 cm (9.8 inches)

Width of the head: 8.5 cm (3.4 inches)

WEIGHT: 223 grams (7.87 ounces)

CONDITION: The silver filigree scepter is over 200 years old and shows signs of age and use. However, it is in very good original condition, with no repairs or restorations, except for a small missing lattice area on the handle and collar.