Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Powder Flask
(Islamic World , Arms and Armor )
The decoration of this powder flask, which includes a buck, an antelope, a lion, a bird, a boar, an elephant, and a mongoose, attests to a fascination with India’s wildlife. With the exception of the elephant, used as a hunting steed, these animals were regularly hunted in Mughal India. The decoration thus alludes to the object’s function: flasks holding gunpowder were essential firearm accessories in royal hunts. The lavishness of the materials, however, which originally included paint and gilding, and the refinement of its execution far exceed a purely utilitarian function.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Lucien Demotte [1906-1934], Paris; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Geographies
India (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 3/4 x W: 8 7/8 x D: 1 5/16 in. (7 x 22.5 x 3.4 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1925
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
71.418