Dish and sieve. For what was is used? Origins?

Maybe a stupid question, but i never used one of these before. My best guess would be its for tea bags? Was bought in the UK. Could it maybe be of one the colonial countries? It's has lions, vulcanos on them which made me believe this.

Any info/input is welcome.

Ben

 

You don't give a size, but tea (or wine?) strainer would be my guess.

 

I'd say a tea strainer, it looks like Burmese colonial silver. Burmese colonial silver is collectible.

 

Maybe a stupid question, but i never used one of these before. My best guess would be its for tea bags? Was bought in the UK. Could it maybe be of one the colonial countries? It's has lions, vulcanos on them which made me believe this.

Not for tea bags per se, but as Mansons said above you would pour the steeped tea through the strainer into the cup. You would not want milady to get stray tea leaves in her tea.

 

Good point. The large dish is around 5 inches / 13 cm. Yes a tea strainer would make sense because of the English history in tea export etc. I also thought it's collectable because of the fact it stayed together after all this time. I thought it could be maybe Cylon. Which countries in south East Asia had lions, vulcanos, palmtrees and elephants? Maybe I can name it by country from origins.

 

Just spotted this. It's all about details. The person is picking tea leafs. He looks asian to me and he's wearing a cloth around his waist and legs. I know they dressed and still do dress like this in Singapore. Getting closer to complete the puzzle.

 

Tea strainers were used everywhere before the invention of teabags. I have several Dutch silver tea strainers, family pieces.
You can name the country Burma, since it is Burma. But don't do that in parts of the world that have a ban on Burmese (Myanmar) products, then it's best to call it colonial silver.

 

A bit big for tea leaves, maybe tobacco?
Just a depiction of general activities, there is also an elephant.

 

That's interesting to know. Never heard of this ban. Yes I also thought about calling it colonial silver to give it a wider audience. Thx

 

Yes true they are large. It would make sense that it would be tea related because of the object.

I had in my mind that this one would be solved quickly. Not a tea drinker nor coffee

 

The US prohibit the sale of anything Burmese, even if it left Burma in the 19th century. I don't know if you do internet sales, then it is best to check before you list something.
When I sell antique jewellery with Burmese rubies, I just call them the best rubies in the Victorian British Empire. People who know rubies will know what I mean.

 

Indeed very good to know this. Thx for the tip AnyJewelry, you'r a star! Thx all for the info.

 

Do you have a picture of the mark?

 

Unless there are more, it looks like it just says Sterling Silver. Unless that dot is something.

 

Thx say_it_slowly, had a look at this already and its just a dot. No other marks are to be found. I did test it on the foot because I'm always suspicious if I can't find any assay marks and it does go red, so it is sterling.

 

The sterling silver mark is probably post-colonial.
I've just checked my silver sites, the style is either Burmese or eastern Bengali (Calcutta and further east). Seems to be difficult to pinpoint, because it doesn't have any of the other significant decorations which silver from the area usually has.
The term Asian Colonial silver is probably best, but do mention it could be post-colonial.

 

You foolish non tea drinking lot.

Tea bags be damned. This is indeed a tea strainer with its under plate stand and a very nice 19th C one at that. Tea is made with leaves, which must then be strained. i don't bother straining them, but fancy people do.

It's Indian. Colonial period, made for Anglo Indians of some variety. Seen a lot of them here.