Judeo-Moroccan rosewater sprinkler (mhabqa)

This sprinkler flask was used to disperse orange-blossom water or other scented waters during festivals and ceremonies, a gesture of welcome and rejoicing shared by Jews and Muslim city-dwellers in Morocco. The sprinkling of perfumed waters accompanied family celebrations, weddings, and receptions, and was part of a culture of hospitality and fragrance particular to the Maghreb. Moroccan goldsmithing rendered it in silver with a long pierced neck, sometimes adorned with filigree and floral motifs, by craftsmen whose skill was widely recognized. An object of social and festive life, it illustrates the integration of Moroccan Jews into the material and sensory codes of their environment.