NAVIGATION

In the recently published book by Mark Zebrowski on 'Gold, Silver and
Bronze from the Mughal India', (chapter 10, pg 165) there is an
illustration of a very similar ewer that is in the Staatliche Museum in
Berlin. The feet and cast dragon head terminals corresponds exactly to
those in this example. This pear shape goes back to the 17th Century and was copied in blue
and white porcelain by the Chinese who then exported them to the Mughal
market. In turn the Mughals also exported their brass pear shaped ewers
to the Middle East, and a 17th Century one was found in Syria to prove
the point. This example dates from the 18th century and at that period, as
Zebrowski has demonstrated, the pear shape changed into a more
pronounced elongated form and the pedestal base grew four little feet
which gave the ewers more height, and perhaps a little more elegance.