Mughal Jeweled Casket with Birds in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, January 2022

Title: Jeweled Casket with Birds

Date: 19th century

Geography: Attributed to India

Medium: Nephrite; inlaid with gold, inset with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, pearl, and mother-of-pearl

Dimensions: H. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
W. 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm)

Classification: Stone

Credit Line: The Sylmaris Collection, Gift of George Coe Graves, 1930

Accession Number: 30.103a, b


This small green and white jade casket is adorned with groups of jeweled parakeets, peacocks, and flowers outlined in inlaid gold. Jade working is an exceptionally time-consuming process that requires a great deal of skill due to the hard and brittle nature of the stone. Highly skilled artisans of the Mughal Empire carved works like this example from jade that they then inset with precious gems. These objects, decorated with floral motifs favored by the Mughal elite, were often exchanged as gifts.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/448496