Oil Vessel

17th - 18th century Origin: Kashmir Material: Copper with tin plating and black enamel A rare surviving example of a traditional Kashmiri copper oil vessel, notable for its restrained engraving and well-preserved utilitarian form. It offers valuable insight into the domestic material culture of pre-modern Kashmir. The engraved ornament and overall form are consistent with Kashmiri copperwork of the late Mughal and early Afghan periods. A narrow inscription band encircles the lower body. Although now heavily worn and largely illegible, it would have originally contained a short dedicatory, devotional, or ownership inscription, a feature encountered on domestic copperware of the period. The vessel, traditionally used for storing and dispensing edible oils, survives without its original accessories. Based on its form and comparison with related examples, it likely once possessed a fitted lid and an accompanying ladle used for measuring and dispensing oil. Private collection: Trām and Beyond

Not for Sale