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Makara Gunpowder Flask

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Details

Size: 7.5 (H) x 6 (W) x 3.5 (D) inches (with stand)
Medium: Bronze

Description

Deccan or Mughal cast bronze, gunpowder flask in the form of a Makara or a dragon. The loops at the back would have helped to attach to a belt. From the back of the head down its back, as well as bisecting its flank and in a decorative leaf shape, is a plaited central line with lappet designs on both sides. Early gunpowder flasks were often made from animal horns, and this piece seems to reference the original form. There is some Gujarati script on the body but it is not decipherable, as it may be initials. The stand has been handmade specifically to display this piece.
Makara is a Sanskrit word which means sea dragon or water monster. It symbolizes water, the source of all existence and fertility. This could however, also be a dragon, as in the medieval Muslim world, the dragon was the most frequently represented fabulous beast. This applied across styles and media and in both sacred and secular contexts.
A powder flask is a small container for gunpowder, which was an essential part of shooting equipment with muzzle-loading guns, before pre-made paper cartridges became standard in the 19th century. Some were elaborately decorated works of art, while many were standardized military issue. The most decorative were generally used for sporting shooting.