This pouring vessel with a long spout may have been used in public or court bathhouses in Safavid Iran. The form is archaic and known in metalware from Iran's Bronze Age, about 2000 BC (BM 1913,1229.7), however, it is a very practical shape and may have served different purposes over time. A similar vessel is carried by partially dressed dancers associated with the harem, in two colourful rectangular tile panels, c. 1600-40, probably made in Isfahan for a Safavid palace or bathhouse, and now in the VAM (C.306 & 307-1879).

Each figure has hands coloured orange-red, presumably the result of the application of a paste made from the leaves of henna, which when left on overnight produced a stain, which was highly admired. The darker the henna, suggests the evidence of wealth, as it was produced using costly essential perfumes and oil, whereas a paler colour indicates that water was used a binder. That both hands are stained is further evidence of an elite lifestyle indicating that a skilled henna artist has applied the stain.

This spouted vessel may have been used by men and women to rinse their hair and body, washing off residue soap and oils, or perhaps, the henna used to dye their hair and hands. Bathhouses, an important focal point of daily life, were traditionally decorated with luxurious glazed tiles lining the pools and tile panels ornamenting the walls.