These Ivory figurines are secular in character depicting the plurality of the Indian tradition and also the plurality of Bihar, which had become a basin of cultural and philosophical influences. The artisans took their inspiration from folk characters in both Hindu tales and legends and Islamic folklore. These figurines showed beasts such as the royal elephant or the Ambari with his sturdy legs carved exquisitely along with all the necessary adornments readying for the royal procession. Similarly, the boat crafted in the form of a bird was perhaps an impression of the boats the Nawabs used for afternoon leisure excursions and social gatherings. Murshidabad, under the Nawab of Bengal, had become a center of culture and artistic expression. The patronage from the aristocrats had given much impetus to the creation of such figurines as wares to be sold in the markets; it was at the height of the glory and splendor of the Nawabs that the artisans used their lives as the model for their work.
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