INDIA, GUJARAT, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY

This piece is purported to come out of Tibet, but the use of mother-of-pearl and the craftsmanship point to Gujarat, where exclusive and highly creative pieces were produced from the 16th century onward.
Mother-of-pearl inlaid vessels were highly desirable collectibles in the Kunstkammern accross Europe and some pieces might have been specifically made for the Tibetan market; for a pair of ewers and basins and a general discussion, see A. Jaffer, Luxury Goods from India, 2002, p. 38f.