Description Cutch (Western India) silver A novelty silver rosewater sprinkler modelled as a caparisoned elephant. The animal is depicted balancing on a circular ball with one foreleg raised. Its trunk is extended upwards, terminating in a spout shaped as a pierced flowerhead. Rosewater sprinkling was an Iranian custom observed during the festival of Ab Pashan to symbolise rainfall that would put an end to famine. The festival was celebrated annually during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, c. 1625, when courtiers sprinkled rosewater on each other from elongated vases called Gulab pash. As Mughal traditions spread to the Rajput Courts and the custom became more generalised, it began to be used on important occasions to welcome arriving guests. Today, it is not unusual to attend a traditional wedding in India and be misted gently with rosewater at the entrance. Size (cms): 23(H) x 8(W) x 8(D) Size (inches): 9(H) x 3(W) x 3(D)
