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Source Description
Wide-rimmed basins called <em>sailabchi</em> were used to catch water poured from a pitcher during hand washing before prayer and before and after meals. A sumptuous example such as this was made for an elite setting. Every element of the allover floral arabesque was cut from silver and brass sheets or wire and hammered into the cast zinc alloy vessel in a distinctive technique developed in southern India.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
387677
label
Bidri Basin
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
387677
contentType
object
title
Bidri Basin
description
Wide-rimmed basins called <em>sailabchi</em> were used to catch water poured from a pitcher during hand washing before prayer and before and after meals. A sumptuous example such as this was made for an elite setting. Every element of the allover floral arabesque was cut from silver and brass sheets or wire and hammered into the cast zinc alloy vessel in a distinctive technique developed in southern India.
date
c. 1650
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q117244807
genreSpecific
Metalwork
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Diameter: 34.5 cm (13 9/16 in.); height: 17 cm (6 11/16 in.)
cul
Southwestern India, Deccan, Karnataka, Bidar
accession
2020.205
Source extras
tec
Zinc alloy with silver and brass inlay
tombstone
Bidri Basin, c. 1650. Southwestern India, Deccan, Karnataka, Bidar. Zinc alloy with silver and brass inlay; diameter: 34.5 cm (13 9/16 in.); height: 17 cm (6 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2020.205
collection
Indian Art
didYouKnow
Zinc alloy does not rust or corrode, in contrast to steel or copper alloys.
citations
citation
Gray, Basil, editor. <em>The Arts of India</em>. Oxford: Phaidon, 1981.
page_number
Reproduced: fig. 206
citation
Zebrowski, Mark. "Bidri: Metalware from the Islamic Courts of India," in <em>Art East</em>. London, England: Hali Publications, 1982.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 28
citation
Zebrowski, Mark. <em>Gold, Silver & Bronze from Mughal India</em>. London: Alexandria Press in association with Laurence King, 1997.
page_number
pp. 170–71
citation
Haidar, Navina Najat, and Marika Sardar. <em>Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy</em>. New York, NY: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 95, p. 193
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
sketchfabId
de05926348ca4629bb5001b428df7bd7
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:18:07.996000
sourceId
387677
dept
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
coll
Indian Art
med
Zinc alloy with silver and brass inlay
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
094a01fc997dac0f