A Kangxi Blue and White Porcelain Rose Water Sprinkler c.1700. From the Collection of John Drew (1933 - 2006). The narrow tapered neck is decorated with a variation of the ‘aster pattern’ or qiū jú. The aster flower symbolising autumn, endurance and elegance. Below the crenellated border are ruyi heads based on Lingzhi meaning sacred fungus. Around the bulbous base are panels containing flowering lotus in white against the cobalt blue background. Although the original of the rose water sprinkler is based on Islamic and Indian metal work forms, the Kangxi porcelain versions were popular in the Netherlands and were imported in large number. I think there function would have purely decorative, they were also popular in Persia and the Ottoman Empire.   Rosewater Sprinklers : Rosewater has been used since early times. It became important in the Middles East, the containers used to contain it known as Golabdan in Persian were made from a number of materials including glass, metal and ceramic, the earliest being of frit ware. The sweet heavy perfume of the rose has long held a poetic appeal. Roses feature often in Persian poetry, sometimes evoking both sensuality and mysticism. The poet Sa`di or Saadi (1210-1292) from Shiraz in southern Iran, wrote a poetic compilation of anecdotes entitled Gulistan (`The Rose Garden`), which is a major work of Persian literature. For Mughal manuscript of Sa`di in a Rose garden, from Gulistan, painted in c.1645 see the last two photographs. There are numerous Chinese porcelain rose-water sprinklers, many of which date from the Kangxi Period (1662-1722). Although most would have been made for the Middle Eastern market many also turn up in old Dutch collections. Jorge states "Rosewater sprinklers were initially exported to Batavia where they used as such and often provided with metal mounts. They found their way to the Netherlands as curiosities and decorative items" from Chinese Porcelain in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Ming and Qing Dynasties (Christiaan Jorg, Phillip Wilson, The Rijksmuseum, 1997) page 136.   See Below For More Photographs and Information.