The term Animal Style is used to describe a tradition characteristic of the applied - or rather portable - art of a number of ancient nomadic peoples. Animals were considered to have magical power and to provide protection against evil or disaster and representations of them thus occupied an important place in life. This style reflected the mythology, the ethical and aesthetic ideals of the warrior-nomad. With a magnificent understanding of composition and the essential nature of the material, craftsmen fashioned utilitarian objects in animal form: weaponry, horse trappings, clothes, ornaments and jewellery and other everyday objects were all decorated with zoomorphic motifs. Without copying nature, they accurately conveyed the essence of every beast depicted. The highly stylized modelling uses bold accentuated planes, while distinctive features associated with particular species are emphasized and exaggerated. Zoomorphic motifs were used not simply for decorative effect, but to turn the object into amulets, with magical power to assist in hunting, and to protect the owner from harm.