Zoomorphic priming flasks of carved ivory, such as these, were among the first Mughal decorative arts to reach Europe, with numerous examples listed in princely collections of art and natural history dating from 1650. These small containers held fine-grain gunpowder used to set off (or prime) the main charge in the barrel. The flasks are typically carved with fantastic animals that merge into one another. The observed naturalism is characteristic of Mughal art.