A rare 17th century tray produced in Bidar in south India that exemplified Indian superiority in metallurgy at the time – long before England had the expertise – has been blocked from export by the Theresa May government, seeking to retain and preserve it in the United Kingdom.
Described by the department of digital, media, culture & sport as “mysterious and unique”, the artwork has been assessed by experts to be at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found and retained within the UK.