Only a few landmarks stand the vestiges of time and signify the contributions of a person or a brand to a city. Two such connected landmarks in Chennai, India, are the P.Orr and Sons building with the clock tower at Anna Salai and the Art Deco clock tower at Royapettah. While most Chennaites would know of P.Orr and Sons as a watch brand, only a handful will recall that it was once a jewellery and silverware store. Fewer still will know that P.Orr invented a category of jewellery and gift items known as “Swami ware.” As we celebrated the 385th Madras Day (birthday of Chennai) on August 22nd, here is the story of Swami ware by P.Orr and Sons for you.
The history of P.Orr and Sons
In 1843, Peter Nicholas Orr, a watch maker and his brother Alexander Orr, a lawyer sailed from Scotland to Madras to create a future for themselves. They apprenticed under George Gordon, a renowned watchmaker and took over George Gordon & company in 1846. With the help of the architect, architect Robert Chisholm, Robert Gordon Orr (Peter’s younger son along with his brother James Edward Orr) built their landmark showroom in Anna Salai (originally Mount road), which was inagurated by Queen Mary of England in 1879.
They developed into a jewellery and silverware business in the early 20th century and were trends setters till 1940. According to the comments and photos in this Facebook group, they also sold items such as silver fob medals and rolled gold items. I was surprised to know that they retailed photo enamelled chronographs as well. They serviced several royal houses in India including the Nizams, the Wodeyars of Mysore and HRH Prince of Wales. They were also briefly in the film business – Orrs Columbia and talkies in the 1930s.
The World War II and eventually the Independence of India, saw the decline of their jewellery business. They distributed plane meters, field instruments and other military equipment before becoming watch retailers once again. The stores was taken over by the Loyal Textile Mills, Ltd in 1967 and is presently managed as a chain of watch stores across Tamil Nadu by a board of Directors.
The origins of Swami ware
During a visit to Tiruchirappalli, they encountered jewellers skilled in nagaas (also known as nakash or nakashi) work (repoussé) and were captivated by the ornate gold jewellery and silver vessels they crafted. These artisans excelled in creating miniatures in relief, known as sitturu using metal. The technique of micro-repoussage was referred to as siturupadaippuchitiravelai (the work of creating miniatures in relief) in Tamil. These intricate forms often depicted divine imagery drawn from Hindu myths. Deciding to enter the silverware business, P. Orr placed orders with these artisans to create tableware, tea sets, and jewellery.
Swami ware by P.Orr and Sons
P. Orr and Sons produced jewellery such as necklaces, cuff bracelets, and their notable lockets. Inspired by daguerreotype cases and photo-enamelled lockets, these silver lockets opened to reveal slots for photographs, protected by glass coverings. The wearer could store photographs of loved ones or even locks of their hair in these Victorian-era-inspired lockets. The lockets often featured micro-repoussage on both sides. If you find a brooch or pendant that is one-sided online, examine it carefully to see if the hinge of a locket has been sawn off or coverted to a brooch pin to create two pendants or brooches.
Swami Jewellery and controversies
The term ‘Swami’ refers to God (or Goddess) or to an upper-class and upper-caste Hindu man. When used by a woman, it could refer to her husband, whom she acknowledges as her God and saviour.
Swami jewellery was embroiled in controversies. For upper-class and upper-caste Hindu men and women, storing a deceased person’s hair in a locket depicting a divine image was considered sacrilegious. It was also unacceptable for a ‘devout Christian’ woman to wear the image of a ‘heathen god.’ As an alternative, some chose to wear jewellery, particularly cuff bracelets featuring images of men and women engaged in manual labour. These images were derived from company paintings that documented the activities of various castes. Referring to images of people from lower castes as ‘Swami’ was unacceptable to upper-class and upper-caste Indians, thus sparking significant controversy.
In England, the ‘self-appointed purveyors of art’ dismissed the jewellery as being ‘too ornate’ and filled with ‘grotesque images,’ rendering it without value. Their intolerance and ignorance are clearly evident in this line of criticism.
The Diffusion of Swami ware
Despite the controversies (or perhaps because of them), Swami jewellery became a popular ‘fashion item’ for foreigners visiting or leaving India. This popularity led to many other jewellers producing and selling similar vessels and jewellery in Europe, with C. Krishna Chetty of Bengaluru being a notable example. Dupes were also created by makers in London.
The book Hindu Pantheon by Edward Moore, with its visual representations of Hindu deities and textual descriptions, became the go-to reference for traders dealing with Swami ware in India and London. The copies of Swami jewellery made and sold in Europe, or sometimes made in India by competitors to P. Orr, lacked the iconographical details of the original forms. The workmanship was also crude compared to the original. Interestingly, these copies were often hallmarked to indicate they were made of silver, suggesting a superior quality that they did not necessarily possess.
Collecting Swami ware
In the last three years, I have seen several pieces of Swami jewellery from late 19th-early 20th century come up for sale online. Expensive as they may be, they are reminders of an era gone by. I have been fortunate to acquire one such locket that I hold dear. The remnants of Swami ware by P.Orr and Sons can be seen in the jewellery often referred to as temple jewellery. Silver vessels and boxes with repousse are also common in (South) Indian homes. However, I am yet to come across an intricate detailed hand chased lozenge locket that can tells stories of Tiruchirapalli, Madras, and London in a single snap.
Where to see Swamiware in India?
You can see two cuff bracelets, one gold and one silver along with the necklace shown above at the Amrapali Museum in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Look for Audio point 22 in the basement. They also have a few pieces of Swamiware vessels in silver.
References
The Jewels of India by Susan Stronge
Traditional Jewelry of India by Oppi Untracht
I hope you find it interesting
Cheers
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