Kota Powder flask
Origin: Kota, Rajasthan
Date: Early 19th Century
Ref: SD24004
Price: $1300 USD
Barutdan (powder flask). Ebony body inlaid with ivory and bone. These flasks were specifically designed to hold gunpowder, with this particular example shaped in the form of a nautilus shell, a common motif for such objects.
While primarily functional, many powder flasks were also highly decorative, often inlaid with ivory or mother-of-pearl, and presented as royal gifts to nobility and courtiers. This example, however, shows signs of early use, as evidenced by the carved ivory stopper in the form of a 10-petal lotus, which bears stains of gunpowder residue.
