This extremely fine ewer was made in the Deccan region of India in the mid-17th century and belongs to a class of metalwares known as "bidri". Bidri is a technique known only in the Indian subcontinent, and takes its name from the city of Bidar, in the present-day state of Karnatika, where it is thought to have originated. Its origins are unknown, but surviving pieces date from the late 16th or early 17th century. Bidri objects are cast from an alloy in which zinc predominates, though small amounts of lead, copper and tin may also be found. The decoration may be inlaid with silver, or silver and brass, as here, or overlaid with silver wires hammered onto a cross-hatched surface. The final stage of the process is to apply a saline mud paste over the entire surface which changes the dull grey of the alloy to a matt black without affecting the decoration. The exact chemical process which takes place is still unidentified. After removal, the surface of the piece would be rubbed with oil.
This ewer has an inscription in Persian inlaid on the rim of the neck and is meant to indicate that the ewer was made for Timur, the Central Asian ruler from whom the Mughal emperors were descended. It has a date corresponding to 1406-7, but is not authentic, as shown by the 17th century shape of the ewer, and the failure to follow the standard protocol for Timur.