In the late nineteenth century, British authorities in India attempted to “improve and advance” local arts by introducing new materials and experimental techniques. At the Mughal court, lapis lazuli had been used for inlay rather than as a material for large pieces. In contrast to jade – the favorite Mughal hard stone – the structure of lapis does not allow the carving of the thin and translucent surfaces so widely admired by the Mughals. This explains the thick and rather heavy form of the cup and saucer, acquired from [A.N.] Jacob in Calcutta.

While rubies and diamonds were the standard gems employed in the decoration of jeweled Indian objects, pearls are rarely seen. There are technical reasons for this, because in India gemstones are normally set in the kundan technique, which requires heating. This would damage the fragile surface of organic pearls. Here, they appear to have been set with an adhesive, which probably caused the dark stains on the adjacent gold. Even the 22-carat gold normally used by Indian jewelers contains copper and other base metals, which may have reacted with the adhesive.

The lotus leaves carved on the outside of the saucer, at the base of the cup, and below the cover’s finial follow Mughal models, although their lack of vitality indicates a later date of manufacture. It is therefore likely that the objects were made not long before Jacob sold them to Isabella and Jack Gardner in January 1884.

Source: Pedro Moura Carvalho, “Jewelry and Objects from India,” in Journeys East: Isabella Stewart Gardner and Asia, edited by Alan Chong and Noriko Murai (Boston: ISGM and Gutenberg Periscope, 2009): 459-460.