An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c23.s2.4

v1.c23.s2.4

The largest variety and number of toilet caskets of schist or steatite are from Taxila, where these have been found from the Śaka-Parthian period at Sirkap and the Dharmarājikā sites and are either globular and slightly squat, cylindrical and tall, cylindrical and shallow, spherical with a closely fitting lid or square in shapes (Marshall, 1952, pp. 498-500, pl. 141, 98-105). Most if not all of the toilet caskets are decorated and have been found along with their lids. Caskets of gold, silver, copper and agate, apart from those of slate and pottery (*ibid*., pp. 134, 587-8) and stone unguent vases (*ibid*., p. 492, pls. 141, 58 and f, 143 r and s) have also been found at Taxila. In fact it is also likely ‘that some of the caskets found in *stūpas* may originally have been used as ordinary jewel-boxes’ (*ibid*., p. 587). From VAIŚĀLĪ are reported small pots which actually contained gold and silver objects and beads of semiprecious stones. In the Jandial temple, Sirkap, was found ‘a small phial of limestone, which was probably meant for some unguent or kohl’ and which was of the late historical period (Marshall, 1951, p. 492, pl. 141 g).