- Title
- Water or Opium Vessel
- Date Made
- circa 1775-1800
- Medium
- Silver, cast and repoussé
- Dimensions
- 6 × 4 × 6 in. (15.24 × 10.16 × 15.24 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2013.220.12
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
Known as a tonti (Hindi & Urdu: spout), this is a variant style of the ubiquitous Indian water vessel, the lota, which is distinguished by the presence of a spout. The water poured from the spout is considered to be running water, which is ordained for a Muslim’s daily ablutions. Alternatively, this vessel may have been used for offering honored guests opium-water, which was produced by dissolving dried opium latex in water.
This elegant silver vessel has a globular body supported by a circular foot. The fluted spout with a ball terminal is mounted on the outside and draws from the vessel’s bottom. The cover is dome-shaped with a bud terminal and is attached to the vessel body by a thin chain. Most of the body and dome cover are unadorned, which accentuates the repoussé bands of upcurved lotus petals encircling the shoulders of the cover and the body, and also forming the body’s basal border. A band of crenelations or stylized acanthus leaves serves as the bottom border above the splayed edge of the cover. The use of the bands of lotus petals to accent the domed cover is visually reminiscent of the Indo-Islamic mausoleums and mosques with parallel design elements.