Master Art

Mother-of-pearl and copper. India, Gujarat, 16th century. Assimilated by diverse peoples these objects were used as wine cups in the 16th century by the Safavid emperors in Mughal India and, later, by the sultans of the Decan. Similarly boat-shaped vessels, albeit larger and metal made, were also used as begging bowls known as kashkul. These metal bowls are well known but mother-of-pearl examples are extremely rare, although some references in the literature do exist.