The fine brushes used by Rajasthani painters are made from the delicate, curved hairs of squirrels' tails. First, the artists have to catch the squirrels. They wait until the warm weather arrives in the spring, since the small animals wrap their tails around themselves like a shawl to keep warm in the winter. When the squirrel goes under the basket to investigate the enticing odour, the string is jerked and the animal is trapped. The most difficult part of the operation is catching hold of the squirrel with a cloth that is flung over the basket.
Caution is in order, since the little creatures can really bite.