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Powder Flask

Indian (Artist)
18th-1st half 19th century (late Mughal)
hippopotamus ivory, amber, steel, copper alloy, and silver with traces of paint, resin, and gilding
(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.

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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.

71.418

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Hours

  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 1–8 p.m.
  • Monday—Tuesday: Closed

Location

600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

Phone

410-547-9000

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