A MUGHAL ROCK-CRYSTAL FLASK

This bottle is made in two hemispherical parts held together by the inlaid gold wire mesh surrounding it. This technique would have allowed an easier process for the craftsmen as opposed to carving and hollowing the bottle from a single block of brittle rock crystal. Such small bottles could have been used to hold perfume but also lime, a key ingredient to betel chewing, an important element of life at the Mughal court.
Please also see the following lot for a closely related flask.