c. 1880-1890
The silver rosewater sprinkler has a bulbous body, a long, tapering spout with floral scrollwork, and a blooming, flower-shaped finial. The floral nozzle has five piercings from which rosewater can be sprinkled. The body, which would have contained the rosewater, is decorated with floral designs set within a medallion of leaves. The major centers in India for silver-work were Bombay, Calcutta, Cutch, Kashmir, Lucknow, and Madras. Stylistically, this sprinkler can be attributed to Bhuj, in Cutch (now Kutch), Gujarat. The base contains an illegible inscription which probably gives the name of the workshop where the object was created. The numeral "four" is inscribed in Devanagari script, which may be an indication of its date, or a production number.
26.5 x 9.8 cm (10 7/16 x 3 7/8 in.)
Pale blue glazed faience
1st-2nd century CERomanYue ware: light gray stoneware with celadon glaze over incised, carved, and applique decoration. From the Yue kilns at Shanglinhu, Zhejiang province.
11th centuryChineseNumbered Jun ware: light gray stoneware with variegated purple and blue glaze; with Chinese numeral 7 (qi) inscribed on base before firing
15th centuryChineseFritware with overglaze painted luster decoration
12th-13th centuryPersianMonochrome glazed porcelain: porcelain with mottled copper-pink glaze
19th centuryChineseTerracotta
Silver
20th centuryAmericanEnameled porcelain, "famille noir" type: porcelain with decoration in overglaze polychrome enamels
17th-19th centuryChineseSilver
17th centuryBritishBurnished black stoneware
8th-9th centuryChineseGray earthenware with impressed cord marks
4th century CEKoreanEnameled porcelain: porcelain with decoration painted in overglaze yellow, pink, and red enamels and scrolling floral pattern lightly incised in the yellow enamel; with spurious underglaze cobalt blue mark reading "Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi" in seal-script characters on the base
18th-19th centuryChinese