View of the Prophet’s mosque at Medina on ivory on Collections Sphere from

Richard Burton’s account of his pilgrimage reported that some Indian artists supported themselves in Mecca by depicting the cities of Mecca and Medina. Drawn in great detail, such ivories have most certainly been painted by an artist who had direct access to the mosques. Small and easy to carry items such as these are likely to have been sold to pilgrims in Mecca and Medina or in the vicinity, as souvenirs.