Flask and Stopper thumbnail 1
Flask and Stopper thumbnail 2
+29
images
Not on display

Flask and Stopper

ca. 1650 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Flask made of the round end of a gourd, decorated all over in coloured designs on a black ground, with silver neck-mount and sprinkler engraved with the name SANCHEZ. The bulbous body is decorated with a fox(?), birds, and two hands holding a heart, amidst flowering stems, the neck is encircled by a band bearing a scroll and a similar band encloses a medallion of foliage on the bottom. The neck-mount is a band with corded edges, into which the sprinkler fits, a tapering nozzle with perforated bult at the tip.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Flask
  • Stopper
Materials and techniques
Gourd with <i>barniz de Pasto</i> decoration, and silver
Brief description
Gourd decorated with barniz de Pasto; silver mounts and stopper. Viceroyalty of Peru, ca. 1650
Physical description
Flask made of the round end of a gourd, decorated all over in coloured designs on a black ground, with silver neck-mount and sprinkler engraved with the name SANCHEZ. The bulbous body is decorated with a fox(?), birds, and two hands holding a heart, amidst flowering stems, the neck is encircled by a band bearing a scroll and a similar band encloses a medallion of foliage on the bottom. The neck-mount is a band with corded edges, into which the sprinkler fits, a tapering nozzle with perforated bult at the tip.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.4cm (Incl. stopper)
  • Diameter: 4.8cm
  • Height: 6.7cm (Excl. stopper)
Dims. from accession register: 3 3/4 x 1 7/8 ins.
Object history
The flask was purchased for £4 from Mr F. E. Whelan (Messrs. Rollin and Feuardent).
'Spanish-American; 18th century; sprinkler damaged and piece wanting'
Bibliographic reference
Burgio, Lucia, Dana Melchar, Stanislav Strekopytov, et al., 'Identification, characterisation and mapping of calomel as 'mercury white', a previously undocumented pigment from South America, and its use on a barniz de pasto cabinet at the Victoria and Albert Museum'. In: Microchemical Journal, vol. 143, December 2018, pp. 220-227.
Collection
Accession number
1577:1-1902

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest