NAVINA HAIDAR: Believe it or not, this gold case; yes! made out of real gold! - was not the most valuable part of this object! But let’s start by looking at it closely. On the very top is a bird. It’s a combination of a peacock and a hunting bird with a curving beak. Within the round parts of the case there are more animals. Look for monkeys and other kinds of animals. Maybe you’ll even spot a unicorn! The case was made to hold a large stone – which was considered extremely mysterious and powerful; and very, very valuable. The stone was made up of different kinds of materials put together. Some of them were ivory, crushed animal bones, and crushed jewels. It was believed that if you scraped off just the tiniest bit of the stone and ate it, or dissolved it in a drink, it would cure you from being poisoned. These kinds of Indian objects were often sent to from India to Europe. European Kings and Queens wanted examples of almost unbelievably fine Indian goldwork. And they really wanted the stones inside - to protect them from being poisoned by their enemies.