Daily grace

Mango-shaped container

Mid-17th century, Mughal, India

rock crystal, inlaid with gold and rubies

Carved from a single rock crystal, this container was made for the Mughal court, a dynasty that ruled India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. Originally topped by a jeweled gold stopper, the container held perfume or lime paste—the paste, when chewed with betel fruit, would cause salivation and release alkaloid stimulants akin to nicotine. Betel chewing is a habit or pleasure shared by one-tenth of the world’s population, particularly in southern Asia and the East Indies.