Rare flasque de pèlerin pour le marché indien Lot n° 168

Ottoman Empire, 17th-18th century Piriform metal flask covered with monochrome orange pleated fabric. The body is encircled by a textile band and a silver medallion. Sanskrit inscription ? under the neck. Condition : Very well preserved Size : 28 x 28 cm Oeuvre similaire / Similar work : See Sotheby's, London, October 26, 2022, n°141 Pilgrim bottles were considered a symbol of rank, evoking the spiritual commitment of pilgrimage, and were particularly sought-after in the Arab-Muslim world. The present example belongs to a rare group of fabric-covered Ottoman flasks, such as those in the Dresden Turkish Chamber. These flasks were used to store the sacred water "zamzam", brought from Mecca by pilgrims. The Indian inscription on the present example testifies to the commercial exchanges that could take place around the pilgrimage, where different communities, in this case Turkish and Indian, were brought together. An Ottoman linen-covered pilgrim flask (matara) with an Indian inscription, Turkey, 18th century