Pot
18th century (made)
| Place of origin |
The pot very clearly illustrates the skill of the craftsmen who were producing fine objects during the time of the Mughal Empire. Not only has the pot been carved from a single crystal of clear, near-colourless quartz, the surfaces have been polished and then carved and engraved.
Rock crystal is a hard and durable material that requires patience and expertise to fashion objects like this, especially when using rudimentary equipment such as bow-driven lathes and wheels. The pot is in the style of the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1258) but does not have the formal elegance of 17th century artefacts, nor has the craftsman removed the rock crystal between the flower bud and its stalk on the handles. It was part of a collection of Indian rock crystal objects offered for sale to the museum in 1920 by Captain Rupert Simson, who was following his late father's wishes.
Rock crystal is a hard and durable material that requires patience and expertise to fashion objects like this, especially when using rudimentary equipment such as bow-driven lathes and wheels. The pot is in the style of the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1258) but does not have the formal elegance of 17th century artefacts, nor has the craftsman removed the rock crystal between the flower bud and its stalk on the handles. It was part of a collection of Indian rock crystal objects offered for sale to the museum in 1920 by Captain Rupert Simson, who was following his late father's wishes.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Rock crystal. Fashioned, engraved and polished using abrasives and abrasive-charged tools, with part of the fashioning process involving turning on a bow-driven lathe. |
| Brief description | Pot, two-handled, flower and leaf decoration, rock crystal, Mughal empire, 18th century |
| Physical description | A circular pot fashioned in clear but slightly tinged rock crystal, with a profile that resembles an opium poppy seed pod. It has a wide base and a body that gently tapers towards the neck with two opposing, solid, integral handles carved in the shape of downward facing poppy buds. The interior is smooth and polished, and the exterior is decorated with flowers and leaf-fronds carved in low relief and which have been confined within upper and lower borders of stylised leaves. The pot stands upon a short, slightly flared foot which has a concave recess that had been decorated with an engraved, four-petalled poppy flower. There are natural flaws and inclusions within the body of the pot and there is some chipping to the foot rim. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Purchased from Captain Rupert Simson on behalf of the Public Trustee, the sole executor and trustee of his father's estate |
| Object history | This pot was part of a collection of Indian rock crystal objects offered for sale to the museum in 1920 by Captain Rupert Simson, who was following his late father's wishes. The whole collection was bought for the sum of £550-0-0. Purchased from Captain Rupert Simson on behalf of the Public Trustee, the sole executor and trustee of his father's estate. 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. R.P. 1920-7630 and R.P.1920-7006 |
| Summary | The pot very clearly illustrates the skill of the craftsmen who were producing fine objects during the time of the Mughal Empire. Not only has the pot been carved from a single crystal of clear, near-colourless quartz, the surfaces have been polished and then carved and engraved. Rock crystal is a hard and durable material that requires patience and expertise to fashion objects like this, especially when using rudimentary equipment such as bow-driven lathes and wheels. The pot is in the style of the reign of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1258) but does not have the formal elegance of 17th century artefacts, nor has the craftsman removed the rock crystal between the flower bud and its stalk on the handles. It was part of a collection of Indian rock crystal objects offered for sale to the museum in 1920 by Captain Rupert Simson, who was following his late father's wishes. |
| Bibliographic reference | The art of India and Pakistan, a commemorative catalogue of the exhibition held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1947-8. Edited by Sir Leigh Ashton. London: Faber and Faber, [1950]
p. 232, cat. no. 1232 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.329-1920 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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