The guglet is a long-necked vessel with a bulbous body used to store water or wine before it is served. The name is of Anglo-Indian origin, but it is also thought be descriptive of the sound liquid makes when it is poured.

This design allowed for easy handling and pouring, while the narrow neck helped to maintain the temperature of the liquid inside, keeping it cooler for longer in warm climates. The traditional water vessels have been utilized in India for centuries. While it is difficult to specify the precise origins of these vessels, their use is deeply embedded in India’s extensive history of pottery and metalwork, which dates back thousands of years.

The guglet form is also related to “garlic neck bottle vase” produced during the first half of the 17th century, influenced by Iznik bottles. Guglet, Hookah base, pear-shaped ewer or rose-water sprinkler are shapes made in Chinese Export Porcelain influenced by the Middle Eastern or Indian markets.

This example of a hight quality of painting is particularly unusual due to its predominantly rouge-de-fer enamels. Major M.H. Soames was an important English collector of the beginning of the 20th century who lent pieces to exhibitions of the Oriental ceramic Society in 1948, 1949 and 1950.