TWO INDO-PORTUGUESE MOTHER-OF-PEARL POWDER HORNS

Demonstrating the intricate craftsmanship and exquisite ornamentation that characterise Gujarati workmanship, these flasks were used for storing gunpowder prior to the advent of the modern bullet. Typically made of impermeable materials such as horn or gourd, the use of mother-of-pearl and the rare turbo snail shell suggests the importance of these particular flasks. Found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the naturally shiny iridescent surface of the shells made a vivid impression on 16th and 17th-century Kunstkammer collectors.