Ladle in the shape of an eggplant

Shaped like half an eggplant, this ladle has a long handle terminating in a flower bud bracketed by a leaf form that curls beneath the handle and is attached to two interlocking rings. Though the piece is Mughal in appearance, the loose rings identify that it was made in China, for Indian artisans were not known to have made interlocking rings.

The eggplant or aubergine shape was more popular in India than in China, although it was found among Qing dynasty snuff bottles. Boxes of jade eggplant-shaped snuff bottles were specially made for the palace, for presentation purposes (National Palace Museum plates 112, 115).