Gem-Inset Enamelled Gold Pierced Coffee-Cup Holder (Zarf) with Floral Motifs
Date19th century
PeriodMughal
MediumEnameled gold, mirror, gemstones
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 x 2 1/8 in. (4.4 x 5.4cm)
ClassificationsMetalwork
Credit LineCourtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
Object number44.10
DescriptionThis elegant vessel is a coffee cup holder. It is decorated with enameled pink flowers and green leaves in relief. A central pink-and-blue blossom rests at the bottom of the cup, and the inner rim is lined with six pink flowers. The cup is pierced with six teardrop-shaped openings and rests on a small, fluted foot adorned with pink petals. This ornate vessel speaks to the tradition of coffee drinking in India. Coffee was first recorded in the Mughal court during the reign of the fourth Mughal emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–1627 CE). It was a beverage imbibed by the elite, enjoyed in coffee houses called qahwakhanas.
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19th century
19th century
19th century
