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WMF Geislingen Catalog. [Distributed by the Eranee Bros]. Bombay, 1950s.

$500.00

[Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik]: Germany. Circa 1960.

Staple-bound wrappers, 8.5” x 12”. 12 pp., illus. Text consists of serial numbers only, bulk is illustrations of products. Inkstamps at corners of front wrapper reading, “Made in Germany;” “The Importers & Exporters Prv. Ltd., Managing Agents: Eranee Brothers, 43, Forbes Street, Fort, Bombay 1.” CONDITION: Very good, wrappers foxed with some soiling to margins, contents clear and clean.

A splendid visual document of the sorts of culinary accoutrements that adorned the tables of middle-class residents in Bombay, showing the contribution South Asian businessmen made to the westernization of the subcontinent.

This catalog provides striking advertisements for well over one-hundred pieces of decorative tableware and other beautiful goods manufactured by Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik that were imported to Bombay by the Eranee Brothers. Among these were salt-and-pepper shakers, butter-dishes, gravy bowls, chargers, cake dishes and pie-bowls, coffee-cups and spoons, tea-sets and icebuckets, and much else besides. Aside from the silver and drinkware, there are ten advertisements for combs and related hair-care products, and two illustrations for what appears to be manufactured paintings.

Beyond being a well-illustrated catalog of tableware made by one of the leading manufacturers of decorative metalware in the twentieth century, this specific copy provides evidence that these kinds of fine European goods also appealed to a wealthy South Asian audience. Trade directories and other literature of the period suggests that the Eranee Brothers’ importing business began as early as 1948 and continued as late as 1976. Their last name, and inclusion in the Parsiana magazine of 1976, indicates that the proprietors would have been of Parsee heritage, which is in keeping with the norm that much of the Anglo-European-inspired businessmen in Bombay came from wealthy families of the Zoroastrian diaspora. Other period literature suggests that beyond importing decorative metalware, the Eranee Brothers were also for some time involved in India’s early music business.

OCLC indicates that the Rakow Research Library owns a number of trade catalogs by the WMF firm. None of these catalogs provide any evidence showing that they were used to sell metalware in the Indian subcontinent.

[Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik]: Germany. Circa 1960.

Staple-bound wrappers, 8.5” x 12”. 12 pp., illus. Text consists of serial numbers only, bulk is illustrations of products. Inkstamps at corners of front wrapper reading, “Made in Germany;” “The Importers & Exporters Prv. Ltd., Managing Agents: Eranee Brothers, 43, Forbes Street, Fort, Bombay 1.” CONDITION: Very good, wrappers foxed with some soiling to margins, contents clear and clean.

A splendid visual document of the sorts of culinary accoutrements that adorned the tables of middle-class residents in Bombay, showing the contribution South Asian businessmen made to the westernization of the subcontinent.

This catalog provides striking advertisements for well over one-hundred pieces of decorative tableware and other beautiful goods manufactured by Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik that were imported to Bombay by the Eranee Brothers. Among these were salt-and-pepper shakers, butter-dishes, gravy bowls, chargers, cake dishes and pie-bowls, coffee-cups and spoons, tea-sets and icebuckets, and much else besides. Aside from the silver and drinkware, there are ten advertisements for combs and related hair-care products, and two illustrations for what appears to be manufactured paintings.

Beyond being a well-illustrated catalog of tableware made by one of the leading manufacturers of decorative metalware in the twentieth century, this specific copy provides evidence that these kinds of fine European goods also appealed to a wealthy South Asian audience. Trade directories and other literature of the period suggests that the Eranee Brothers’ importing business began as early as 1948 and continued as late as 1976. Their last name, and inclusion in the Parsiana magazine of 1976, indicates that the proprietors would have been of Parsee heritage, which is in keeping with the norm that much of the Anglo-European-inspired businessmen in Bombay came from wealthy families of the Zoroastrian diaspora. Other period literature suggests that beyond importing decorative metalware, the Eranee Brothers were also for some time involved in India’s early music business.

OCLC indicates that the Rakow Research Library owns a number of trade catalogs by the WMF firm. None of these catalogs provide any evidence showing that they were used to sell metalware in the Indian subcontinent.