The depiction of animals was common for water-containing vessels, as the shape of the object itself could be designed to facilitate the animal and the jug. The Animal-spouted ewer is from the Islamic world, which is meaningful because in Islamic tradition, the depiction of living beings is generally frowned upon. This principle is known as aniconism, and it stems from the belief that Muhammad is the singular being to be worshipped. While this particular aquamanile is European, aquamanilia originally moved west from the Islamic World, in part due to trade, and in part due to religious movements such as the Crusades. Thus, even though this particular aquamanile is a Western object, the roots of its design are in a similar place as the ewer. The animal image for the aquamanile is important, because the animals depicted often are related to European nobility, and thus have significance to the owner of the aquamanile.