Tazza with Ganesha
France, mid-19th century
Artist: Adrien Feart (identified by inscription)
Silver and gold
Dimensions: 6 5/8 x 6 3/4 inches (16.8 x 17.2 cm)

In the mid-nineteenth century, Europeans began looking to Asia as a source for high-quality crafts. The World’s Fairs were an important showcase for these products. The first World’s Fair entitled, Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, was held at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London in 1851, and was followed by the Exposition Universelle of 1855 that was held in Paris. Some European artisans were inspired to make their own copies and interpretations of what they saw from countries such as China, Japan, and India.

This superbly crafted tazza may have been a by-product of this productive period in European arts and crafts. The entire piece is solid silver with gold details and flourishes. Ganesha sits in the center of the shallow dish holding his characteristic attributes and dipping his trunk into a bowl of laddhus. He wears a high, pointed crown and is bejeweled. The rest of the dish is decorated with scrolling foliate designs and arch forms. The foliate designs continue on the entire surface of the underside of the dish and at its foot. The arch forms are also repeated with an image of a beautiful young lady in each one.

The name, Adrien Féart, is inscribed at the top of the stem. Féart (b. 1813) was a French artist who worked in metal. There is not much known about him, though. However, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., does have an engraving by Féart.