Silver craftsman

The Museum has a unique collection of clay models that showcases the people of Mumbai, their lifestyles and culture, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes models of craftsmen practicing traditional crafts and occupations.

This is a model of a silver craftsman at work, with his tools including chisels, scorpers and gravers, shown around him. Silver was a preferred material for traditional craftsmen because of its malleability, ductility, fusibility and the ability to work its surface.

Kashmir, Burma, Pune, Chennai, Kutch and West Bengal were the principal centres for the production of silver objects in the Indian subcontinent.