A Mughal rock crystal mango-shaped flask inlaid with rubies and emeralds set in gold, India, Mughal, mid-17th century

cut into two equal halves from a single block of crystal and carved and polished in the form of a mango fruit, with a single bore hole forming an aperture at the top mounted with a gold collar, the outer surface decorated with a leaf-and-scroll arabesque in gold wire punctuated with cabochon rubies and emeralds fixed in flower-form settings

length: 5.7cm. (2 ¼ in.)