DECCAN OR MUGHAL INDIA, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

The rosewater sprinkler (or gulabpash) was much in vogue in the Mughal Empire and across Islamic lands, used to sprinkle honoured guests with rose water when they arrived. Jahangir (1605-27), refers in his memoirs to the festival of the sprinkling of rose water at the royal court, to which the present and the next lot were probably associated, albeit a few decades later, 'the assembly of gulab-pashi [sprinkling of rose water] took place and has become established from amongst customs of former days' (quoted in Mark Zebrowski, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London, 1997, p.69). For a general note on the group of enamelled and gemset objects please see lot 44. A discussion on the Deccani or Mughal attribution, can be found in the note to the jewelled parrot, lot 50.