Kashmiri Engraved Copper Coffee Pot, Srinagar

A large, finely handcrafted copper coffee pot made in Srinagar in the early twentieth century, its entire surface covered in elaborate floral and arabesque engraving. The city has long been known for repoussé and engraved metalware, and the ornament here carries the Mughal and Middle Eastern vocabulary that shaped Kashmiri workshops.

The form is generous and confident: a gracefully curved spout, an ornate hinged lid rising to a pointed finial, and a robust, intricately modeled handle cast in solid bronze. The body is hand-hammered from heavy-gauge copper and weighs approximately 2,948 grams, about six and a half pounds, standing roughly 34 cm (13.4 inches) tall.

The interior is not tinned, which suggests the pot was intended for decorative or ceremonial use rather than for preparing drinks. Vessels of this kind were central to Kashmiri and North Indian hospitality, brought out to serve coffee or tea. Should a future owner wish to use it for that purpose, the interior would first need to be tinned or silver plated.