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Lot Essay
The form of this bottle, pear-shaped and with a short flaring neck, echoes the form of sixteenth-century Mughal bronze flasks and ewers (M. Zebrowski, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London, 1997, nos. 195-197, p. 150). The shape of our bottle suggests that it was probably made for use within India. For other examples with Gujarati workmanship of articles overlaid with mother-of-pearl, which are currently in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, see A. Jaffer, Luxury goods from India, London, 2002, nos. 10-14, pp. 36-43.
A mother-of-pearl flask previously in the Paul F. Walter Collection with brass mounts and of comparable form, sold at auction, Christie’s, New York, 21 March, 2007, lot 378. Another flask with very similar cursory designs on the brass mounts is with Alexis Renard, Paris and was exhibited during Asia Week, New York, March 2017.
A mother-of-pearl flask previously in the Paul F. Walter Collection with brass mounts and of comparable form, sold at auction, Christie’s, New York, 21 March, 2007, lot 378. Another flask with very similar cursory designs on the brass mounts is with Alexis Renard, Paris and was exhibited during Asia Week, New York, March 2017.