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Source Description
The powder flask (also known as a priming flask) was an essential firearm accessory and held the fine powder needed to make the gun fire. Gunmakers in India during the Mughal era (1526-1858) specialized in carving ivory powder flasks with animal figures. Often, as these two examples, the decoration consists of intertwined and composite creatures that seem to grow out of or attack one another. One such menagerie, on the right-hand flask, includes a cheetah or lion chasing an antelope in the center, and bucks, antelopes, lions, birds, a boar, elephant, and mongoose at the two ends. Many of these animals were regularly hunted (or used for hunts, as with the elephant), in Mughal India.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
40388
label
Powder Flask
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
8
Source metadata
id
40388
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Powder Flask
description
The powder flask (also known as a priming flask) was an essential firearm accessory and held the fine powder needed to make the gun fire. Gunmakers in India during the Mughal era (1526-1858) specialized in carving ivory powder flasks with animal figures. Often, as these two examples, the decoration consists of intertwined and composite creatures that seem to grow out of or attack one another. One such menagerie, on the right-hand flask, includes a cheetah or lion chasing an antelope in the center, and bucks, antelopes, lions, birds, a boar, elephant, and mongoose at the two ends. Many of these animals were regularly hunted (or used for hunts, as with the elephant), in Mughal India.
provenance
Max and Maurice Rosenheim [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Sale, Sotheby's, London, May 9-11, 1923, lot 304; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1923 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
18th century (Early Modern)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Ivory & Bone
powder flasks
imageCount
8
pageCount
8
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
6.2
height
16.2
depth
2.5
dimensionsRaw
2 7/16 x 6 3/8 x 1 in. (6.2 x 16.2 x 2.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Islamic
dynasty
Mughal Dynasty
med
ivory, steel
creator_ids
2191
collection_ids
ISL
ARM
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
a0b73158f7eda614
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
c1222a6050ad3270
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
8e9aebd7a3a2e8c6
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
a067f90f338eb493
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
1b9cd950eca10710
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
1251e7a6389b828c
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
7
type
photo
mediaId
34b555ce9405eca8
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
8
type
photo
mediaId
bc2a58f903183f21
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no