Flask

Precious materials from far away countries were elevated and integrated into European goldsmith practices. This elegant flask, in the shapes of a rosewater sprinkler, with its sophisticated curves and eye-catching iridescence, is evidence of an interest in the materials and forms of Asian arts long held by European collectors. Here, the mother-of-pearl panels cut from several turbo marmoratus snails were sourced and shaped by an Indian artist, likely from the state of Gujarat. After the precious object had traveled over three thousand miles, Viennese goldsmith Andreas Joseph Rath fitted the flask with silver mounts in 1733. Although the name of the Gujarati artisan does not survive, his or her talented craftsmanship stands out in the skillful revelation of the nacre and its rippling surface. While the mother-of-pearl is the raison d'être of the object, the silver mounts girdle and guide it, giving the impression that the exuberance of the natural material is being just barely contained by the silver additions, which serve primarily to display its delicate opalescence.