The Mughal Empire controlled large amounts of modern-day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It reached its maximum geographical extent in the early 18th century under Aurangzeb, the sixth emperor. During much of the 17th century, the empire was relatively peaceful, allowing for economic expansion. Increased wealth in the Mughal courts led to more conspicuous consumption among the elites, which resulted in more patronage of multiple art forms. Mughal art is eclectic, borrowing elements from Iranian, Indian, Chinese and European art. The most famous product of Mughal artistic patronage is probably the Taj Mahal, built in the second quarter of the 17th century by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628-1658), as a location for the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Mughal empire also had a tradition of hardstone carving, which reached its peak during Shah Jahan’s reign. Carved hardstone objects would have been valuable because of the beauty of the stones and the fact that many of them had to be imported from elsewhere, as well as the difficulty involved in working with these materials.

This small round box is made of a very dark grey-green variety of jade. Its form is pleasingly simple, with a small lip on the top of the base which allows the lid to sit securely on top. The base is unadorned except for this lip, but the top of the lid is decorated with a raised design. There is a flower with two layers of petals in the centre, surrounded by a ring of eight curving motifs. The pattern is incredibly symmetrical and contains beautiful detailing.