Floor - Vase



Bowl



Jar

Enameling is a technique of fusing coloured glass on to a metal base by a heating process. The entire pattern is first engraved on to the metal base and further engraved with special tools so that the design is in relief and grooves are created as the negative space which is later filled with glass. It is commonly called ‘meena’ or ‘meenakari’ in India.

The Mughal period has produced some of the greatest enameled ware in the world from the manufacturing centres of Agra, Jaipur etc. but the enameled glass ware in the SPS Museum is more opaque with a milky tinge to the colour and has none of the radiance and translucency of the Mughal period.

It is also likely that the objects are of a later period towards mid 18th century and skills had deteriorated by that time. This is also supported by the motifs used in the designs like chinars and small almond butis. Writing in the journal of Indian art, J L Kipling says about Kashmir enamels ‘ though the colours a bit crude and the enamel is applied with more boldness than delicacy, the general effect is bright and attractive’ this sums up the enamel ware at the S P S Museum. It seems to use a quality of glass that fuses at very low temperatures.

The colours are limited to mainly light blue, and dark blue interspersed with little red, green, white and yellow colors. This kind of enameling was also very popular in medieval Iran and also during the Mughal period in India. All the enameled ware objects have PSM engraved on the rim, referring to the Pratap Singh Museum.