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| Indian Colonial Silver Viceroys Shield Trophy Menu Holder - J. Boseck & Co.
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Reference: S11426
Period: George V
Year: 1926
Silversmith: J. Boseck & Co.
Place: Calcutta
Price: $ 260.00
Weight: 82 grams
Dimensions: 7 cm height
Condition: Excellent, stands well, and clip in full working order.
Description: An interesting Indian Colonial silver menu holder, awarded as a military trophy by the Viceroy of India. The trophy reads "Viceroy's Shield 1926". The holder is in the form of a shield, with a mounted soldier in the centre, surrounded by a highly ornate design of foliage, flowers, bamboo and scrolls. The shield has an attached clip at the back, to hold a menu or nametag at a dinner table, and it stands on a secure rectangular silver base with rounded front. It is engraved on the rear with the recipients details, "B" Right L/Cpl. A.H. Greatrex". The shield is hallmarked "JB&Co, Silver". the mark is legible but not clearly struck. We believe this to be the mark of J. Boseck & Company, which was established in Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1922, and still exists today. J. Boseck & Company are known as manufacturers and retailers of high end gold and silver products in India, in fact they supplied the watch presented to Sir Edmund Hilary after he successfully climbed Mt Everest in 1953. They started as an Anglo Indian firm, they registered a makers mark in Birmingham in 1909 (Silversmiths of Birmingham 1750-1980, Kenneth Crisp Jones, page 349). The title of Viceroy of India was used from 1858-1947, Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy (Governor General of India. The Viceroy between 1926 and 1931 was Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, also known as Lord Irwin. He was Foreign Secretary to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain between 1938-1940, and supported appeasement of Adolf Hitler. As Viceroy he famously released Mahatma Ghandi and signed the Ghandi-Irwin Pact of 1931. He was also the first resident of Viceroy House, opened in 1929, and described as "the greatest palace ever built", now called Rashtrapati Bhavan, and featured in the movie "Viceroy's House". Alan Horatio Greatrex served as a Flight Officer during WW1 in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), firstly in RFCNW (Royal Flying Corps Naval Wing) and later in RAFVR (Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve). He then continued to serve in India, when this trophy was presented. He was also involved in the Tea Plantation business, he attended meetings of tea plantation owners. Note - We have a matching pair of this menu holder, S 11425, also presented to Greatrex, but in 1927 and 1930.
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Indian Colonial Silver Viceroys Shield Trophy Menu Holder
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Indian Colonial Silver Viceroys Shield
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Indian Colonial Silver Viceroys Shield Trophy Menu Holder - J. Boseck & Co.
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B Right L/ Cpl. A H Greatrex, Indian colonial silver hallmarks
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Colonial Silver Viceroys Shield Trophy Menu Holder
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Viceroys Shield 1926 silver
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