17thcentury Indo-persian (Mughal) Carved Rock Crystal Box.

3.125”l x 2.375”w x 1.125”h

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This oval shaped box displays an incised decoration of radiating #petals on the base and similar flowerhead design to the flattened cover. Although perfectly aligned, the base and cover lack a holding lip, suggesting that at one time it was connected by a gold collar mount.

Ancient cultures believed transparent rock crystal contained the mystery of the worlds inception and was a symbol of clarity, wisdom and divination. In Egypt, as early as 2600 BC, it was commonly used in the #eyes of sculptures providing a “look into eternity”. The Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder wrote, “The East sends us crystal, there being none preferred to the produce of India...The polish on its faces is so exquisite, that no art can possibly equal it.” Drawing from earlier Sassanian Persian and #Islamic Fatmid culture, rock crystal and other relief-carved hard stones were highly prized as symbols of wealth and power in the Mughal courts of Northern #India. From the 16th to 19th centuries, imperial lapidaries created magnificent objects such as dagger hilts, bowls, flasks and jewelry, often resplendent with inlaid gemstones set in high carat gold.