A BIDRI SILVER-INLAID COMMEMORATIVE PLATE MADE... Lot 171

A BIDRI SILVER-INLAID COMMEMORATIVE PLATE MADE FOR LADY TASKER, THE WIFE OF THE INDIAN CIVIL SERVANT, SIR THEODORE TASKER (1884 -1981) Hyderabad, Deccan, Central India, ca. 1930s - 1940s Of rectangular shape, with a raised and chamfered rim, the central field inlaid in silver and portraying an Indian two-tiered mansion with a long arcade on the ground floor and open-air balcony on the first floor, silver-inlaid vegetal decorations and fretwork bands decorating the rim, the reverse plain except for a dedicatory, commemorative inscription to Lady Tasker, 'in token of her keen interest and constant help from Cottage Industries, Hyderabad', 21.5cm x 27.5cm. Lady Tasker was married to the Indian Civil Servant, Sir Theodore Tasker (1884 - 1981), who first served in Madras (1908 - 24), and then was seconded to the Hyderabad Government Service (1927 - 42). Throughout their time in India, the Taskers were mostly based in Hyderabad and worked closely with the local Nizam. Sir Tasker was a prolific writer and kept up-to-date records of his service, including a large collection of tour notes, memoranda, newspaper cuttings, printed books and photographs now part of the British Library and National Archives. It is clear from the dedicatory inscription on the current plate that Lady Tasker did not sit still either and was mostly active in promoting cultural exchanges and boasting regional industries and handicrafts. The black-and-white picture portrays the Taskers in the first row (3rd and 5th from the left), seated next to Maharaj Kumar of Rewa, vetting the 1941 - 42 Indian Civil Service probationers at Dehradun (Uttarakhand), one of the last functions before their return to the United Kingdom (Ⓒ Flickr, Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi).