Powder horn, carved ivory
Muslim armies had introduced firearms in the Indian subcontinent in around 1400, and at the beginning of the 16th century, firearms had become so common that they brought about great changes in the way the Indians made war and hunted. This powder horn held the primer that ignited the gunpowder in a musket; the correct amount was released through the little holes at the end.
The powder horn is decorated with animal motifs associated with the hunt. It belongs to a group that features many different types of animals that either chase one another or are imaginatively placed in different layers, exploiting the shape of the ivory to the maximum for the decoration. It is possible that the two ends were not originally part of the same horn.
As early as the 17th century, several of these “exotic” horns had found their way to European collections, including the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in Copenhagen.
The powder horn is decorated with animal motifs associated with the hunt. It belongs to a group that features many different types of animals that either chase one another or are imaginatively placed in different layers, exploiting the shape of the ivory to the maximum for the decoration. It is possible that the two ends were not originally part of the same horn.
As early as the 17th century, several of these “exotic” horns had found their way to European collections, including the Royal Danish Kunstkammer in Copenhagen.