Page 535 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

Two examples of rosewater
sprinklers with M.K. silver
marks - circa 1895.

Hand-held rose-water
sprinklers, traditionally
made with long straight
necks and bulbous bottoms,
have a time-honoured role in
festivities in much of the
Islamic world. To mark the
end of a wedding feast, rose
water is sprinkled on the
hands and faces of guests;
a t a S e p h a r d i J e w i s h
wedding guests are greeted
with the same ritual.
Aesthetic appreciation and
commercial demand have
encouraged silversmiths
and other artisans to
develop exceptionally
beautiful sprinklers,
examples of which can be
found in museums
throughout the Arabian Gulf
region. In the home, a
precious rose-water
sprinkler is a symbol of
hospitality and, incidentally,
a demonstration of social
standing and affluence.

Rose water sprinklers were
m o r e o f t e n t h a n n o t
originally made as pairs.
Today, it is a matching pair
that will have enhanced
value due their rarity.