Ritual Vase
Stoppered Vessel
18th century - 19th century (made)
18th century - 19th century (made)
Ivory with silver-gilt, rock-crystal, turqouise and semi-precious stones, India and Nepal, 18th-19th century
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Title | Ritual Vase (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory with silver-gilt, rock-crystal, turquoise and semi-precious stones. |
| Brief description | Ivory with silver-gilt, rock-crystal, turqouise and semi-precious stones, India and Nepal, 18th-19th century |
| Credit line | Purchased from Imre Schwaiger |
| Object history | Purchased from Imre Schwaiger, 39 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, W. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. RP 1911- 3340M |
| Historical context | The flowering vase, or vase of plenty (purnakalasa), is a recurrin motif in Indian art, featuring widely in the Bharut reliefs of the 2nd century B.C. The purnakalasa contained the spiritual essence of life, the amrta, which was evoked in rituals concerned with the prolonging of life. In later Buddhisnm this vase was associated with Amitayus, the Buddha of Eternal Life. This vase has been adapted from a piece of imported Mughal ivory, probably originally part of an item of furniture. The use of semi-precious stones in the form of the rock-crystal stupa suggest a Nepalese craftsman working for a Tibetan patron. |
| Production | India and Nepal |
| Subject depicted | |
| Bibliographic reference | Tibetan art / John Lowry. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1973
p. 87, cat. no. 38 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.95:1-1911 |
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| Record created | February 14, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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