Exquisitely carved rock-crystal objects such as this mango-shaped flask were created as luxury objects for courtly use during the Mughal period. Rock crystal was a rare and precious commodity in Mughal India, rarer even than the finest jade. Flasks such as this are likely to have been used as a container for perfume, which was worn by both men and women in the Mughal period, or for holding lime, an ingredient of paan. The gently curving mango form of the flask, inspired by nature, is a motif often used in the decorative arts in India, commonly seen in textiles and in jewellery.

Description

the body carved with flowering plants and foliate motifs, the detached stopper with foliate terminal and possibly later silver attachment