Vintage Large Indian Meenakari Enamel Bird Wax Seal Flower design Silver

Description

Rare Vintage 1950's Indian Meenakari Enamel Bird Wax Seal Flower design Silver.  No hallmarks.  Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS First Class Package with insurance.
See photos for age and condition... there are two cabochon glass or ? On wax seal.
Happy Bidding.
There is a type of enamel work in India called meenakari or meena kari and it is becoming more and more rare every year. Nowadays, base metals are typically used, like brass and copper. However, until a few decades ago, meenakari could easily be found on sterling silver, too. And it wasn’t just jewelry. Artisans made exquisitely beautiful little figurines of animals and birds.
The process began with shaping a sheet of sterling silver over a form to create the animal. Then layers of the enamel were applied and fired in a labor-intensive process that made the finished project almost glow with translucent color. Sometimes, the little animals were placed into chess sets, and sometimes they were sold by themselves. The larger pieces had a round base that might be filled with wax to give the statue stability.
Peacocks, elephants, and camels were the most common but sometimes you can find deer, ox, duck, and other creatures.
Silver Content: These figurines are made from sterling silver but are rarely marked as such. If the figurine has an attached base, you will sometimes see the word “SILVER” stamped into the design underneath the figurine, but this is rare and usually only seen in the antique specimens.
About condition: Meenakari enamel on sterling silver is fragile, as fragile as a thin sheet of glass might be. Dropping or bumping the figurine results in cracking and chipping so it is very common for these vintage and antique figurines to have some enamel loss, especially for those items that have traveled far from India. Chips are so common that they don’t detract from the value of the figurine unless the beauty of the piece is devastated.
Caring for silver meenakari: Most of the time, all you have to do is dust the figurine occasionally. Any silver that has been revealed by enamel loss is subject to toning over time. You can slow or stop this natural darkening process, if desired, by displaying your figurines in a clear display case or box that limits air circulation.