A Beautiful Camel Bladder Vase

Probably the nicest one you will see all day. This one, from Multan, Pakistan, was crafted in the mid-19th century and currently resides in the collections of the Museum of Leathercraft in Northampton, U.K.

Of note, the “camel bladder” term refers not to the shape, but to the material from which it was made.  Animal bladders have traditionally been used for fashioning drinking flasks, enema bags, and other liquid-containing vessels.  A dried, tanned, but unmoulded and unpainted one is depicted here.

Link, via Scribal Terror