British Arts Minister Michael Ellis on Friday placed an export bar on a mysterious and uniquely designed 17th century tray being exported from Britain.

The tear shaped Bidri tray is believed to have been made in the first half of the 17th century by an unknown craftsman in India.

It has been blocked from export to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country, providing a buyer can be found to pay a matching price of 116,000 U.S. dollars.

The tray, measuring 35 centimeters by 29 centimeters, from Bidor in Southern India, is said to be of a rare size and shape and unparalleled finesse, is in a metalworking technique known as "Bidri", the name deriving from the capital city of the Bahmanid sultanate of the Deccan which was one of the major kingdoms of medieval India.

Bidriware from the 17th century is rare in any collection in the world, with the vast majority of pieces in Britain held in public and private collections dating from the 19th century. Even the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, which has the finest collection of Bidriware in the world, does not own a tray of this type.

Ellis said: "The Tear Shaped Bidri Tray highlights the style, detail and innovation of metal ware produced on the subcontinent during this influential period in world history. It is right that we do what we can to preserve this valuable item for the nation."

Experts also believed the tray highlights the Indian superiority in metallurgical knowledge, or scientific study of metals, at the time it was made.

Sir Hayden Phillips, whose committee recommended the export bar, said: "This 17th century Indian tray is exquisite; both in the beauty of its appearance, in the shape of a tear, and in the manner of its creation. It fully reflects the sophistication of Deccan design in the region's monuments and interiors."