Featured Molded leather flask - where from?

Hello all. I am stumped by this thing.

My feeling is that the origin is somewhere between Morocco and India (I know, rather broad), but I am having trouble finding any close comparisons. The container is made of molded leather, now rock hard. I assume the loops along the edges were for a strap of some sort. The base is flattened, and it can stand upright. The carved wooden stopper seems rather excessive in length, but it is what came with it.

Not sure what it was meant to contain - water? wine? gunpowder? The little spout is hollow for as far as I can get a probe, so probably for dispensing contents.

The auction lot also included a second flask, a bit larger and undecorated, with no spout, just an open neck. The carved stopper for that one is even taller.

Has anyone seen anything similar?

 

Check out the oil bottle here:

https://tharmuseum.com/

Debora

 

Wonderful! I certainly couldn't find that with an image search. Thank you!

 

Debora's magic,and so is that wedding night massage oil bottle. I guess this is the original Thar Desert Kama Sutra Oil ?

 

now u need butter oil.......

 

Wow,what an interesting and unique item. Great auction find!

 

Great interesting info. Thanks. Excellent job finding this.

 

Wonderful find, 2many.
And great ID, Debora.

This bottle is part of the dowry, not a wedding night massage oil bottle.

A dowry is what the bride receives as her own private property, so that in case of the husband's passing or a divorce she'll always have something to fall back on. The husband can only touch/monetize the dowry with his wife's consent.
The dowry can consist of money, jewellery, special textiles, or other items of value, like make up vessels (kohl etc) and containers for skin and body care, like oil.

 

I have now been able to do a bit more research. Other references seem to indicate that "butter oil" may be the clarified butter called "ghee" in India.

 

I thought as much. Ghee is also used in hair care, just like coconut milk in other areas.