http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/14964/fullCarved Marble Archway and Water Fountain with Floral Motifs1935-1938Overall: 96 x 48 1/8 in. (243.8 x 122.2cm)MarbleCourtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art41.50.21This lotus-shaped, marble basin is ensconced within a niche over the sunken bathtub in the bathroom of the Mughal Gallery. Lotus blossoms line the underside of the curved arch. The spandrels of the niche are decorated with eight-petalled flowers.
Marble carving existed in India since ancient times and took new forms and during the Mughal period, when naturalistic floral designs appeared across all forms of art — from jewelry to architecture. The artistic vocabulary remained a feature in Indian art long after the Mughal empire collapsed in the nineteenth century.
Stonework122.2377000000243.84050000001648405482