This lovely antique Lota measures 5 1/2 inches x 6 1/4 inches  wide (14cm x 16cm) and is very heavy and from the 19th century .. the beginning of the Raj. With a deep patina all over. The body made from a heavy bronze. This was probably a day to day Hindu Lota for use when worshipping in the hindu puja (Home temple to hold Ganges water).They were also used by worshippers of Islam for purification purposes and called a Bodna. The word to describe these vessels, lota, is the same word as lotus, the water lily, and comes from the same root as the Latin lotus, washed. Excavations of archaeological sites in India confirm that this type of vessel, popular during the Mughal period, was in use centuries before the Muslim invasion. Many lota’s are ridged or fluted like melons and it is assumed that it was exactly those fruit, hollowed out, which formed the earliest water vessels.  It has a slightly smaller graduating comrade also listed