South India, Deccan
brass
This lota or indigenous water vase is finely cast and decorated with richly incised floral patterns and textured birds. The lota is shorter and broader than the tall and narrow ewer. These ornate vases with wide necks and high shoulder profiles were made to lustrate large idols in religious ceremonies. Their shapes are similar to the big brass water pots which are still seen today in rural India, carried by women on their heads to and from wells along country roads. The lota in its purest form was a simple sphere. Even when it has a handle, spout or foot, it is always lower and larger than the ewer. Since many of these globular objects are ridged or fluted like melons, we can assume that the earliest water vases were fruit that was hollowed out. This botanical form determined the shape of not only the lota but also the huqqa (water pipe).
Size(cms): 15 (H) x 17 (Diameter)
Size(inches): 5.9 (H) x 6.7 (Diameter)
