Kutchwork Bowl, 19th century
Unknown maker, India
Silver, h. 6 3/8 in. (16.1 cm), diam. 9 in. (22.86 cm)
Private collection

The family memories and traditions that people inherit in the form of material possessions, such as silver, porcelain, and jewelry, are kept alive through processes of conservation—storing in display cabinets, shining and polishing, or maintaining in active use. The bowl shown here, intricately decorated in the Indian regional style known as “Kutch,” has been passed down through the collector’s family since the nineteenth century.