Ibrahiim and Jens, these are outstanding responses and insights into this area of talismanic applications of floral and vegetal images in Indian decorative arts. As Ibrahiim has described these kinds of properties extend to the use of precious stones as well.
I know it took him a great deal of time to prepare this detail and am very grateful.
Jens , I know you have spent more time than anyone on these topics over many years, and so much attention to specific cases as you catalogued items in your collection. It is an extremely broad topic to address in general terms. It seems the poppy had some likely application toward drug oriented context.
From what I was able to find, this type of decoration seems to have become popular during the reign of Janhangir as Ibrahiim has noted. He is described as 'pleasure loving' and this appears to suggest the drug orientation. The use of floral designs carried forward with Shah Jahan as well as the very important Dara Shikoh.
As you mention many of the plants and animals also had celestial meanings associated with the gods and as such were applied to decoration on Hindu arms as beautifully described by Elgood. These kinds of decoration were often of course adopted syncretically by the Mughals, just as they added Chinese themes and European from the grimoires and herbals encountered from EIC import mentioned.
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