The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s4.140

v4.c23.s4.140

beauty baffles description. It is made of marble and fashioned in such a way that it resembles a full blown flower, . . . yet it is of little depth . . . just like the palm of a hand. The particular beauty of this is that, when it is full of rippling water, the foliage of the inlay appears to wave to and fro. In its centre is a beautiful flower like a cup of marble; moreover, on each curving point and arched cusp, flowers and leaves of coloured stones spring from creeping plants, and creeping plants from flowers and leaves. Within the cup you will find a hole through which the water bubbles up from a hidden channel underneath. The sheet of water falling from the edges of the cup and the waving of the plants and flowers under the dancing water are nothing less than a scene of magic.¹