14 Facts About Ivory carving

Ivory carving is the carving of ivory, that is to say animal tooth or tusk, generally by using sharp cutting tools, either mechanically or manually.

Ivory carving has a special importance to the medieval art of Europe and Byzantium because of this, and in particular as so little monumental sculpture was produced or has survived.

Ivory carving harvesting led to the extinction, or near-extinction of elephants in much of their former range.

Sperm whale teeth are another source, and bone carving has been used in many cultures without access to ivory, and as a far cheaper alternative; in the Middle Ages whalebone was often used, either from the Basque whaling industry or natural strandings.

Ivory carving will survive very well if dry and not hot, but in most climates does not often long survive in the ground, so that our knowledge of Ancient Greek ivory is restricted, whereas a reasonable number of Late Roman pieces, mostly plaques from diptychs, have survived above ground, typically ending up in church treasuries.

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The Romanos Ivory carving is similar to the religious triptychs but its central panel shows Christ crowning Emperor Romanos and Empress Eudokia.

Ivory carving works have always been valued, and because of their survival rate and portability were very important in the transmission of artistic style, especially in Carolingian art, which copied and varied many Late Antique ivories.

Ivory became increasingly available as the Middle Ages went on, and the most important centre of carving became Paris, which had a virtually industrial production and exported all over Europe.

Ivory carving was never so important after the end of the Middle Ages, but continued to be used for plaques, small figures, especially the "corpus" or body on a crucifix, fans, elaborate handles for cutlery, and a great range of other objects.

Ivory carving was used for the balls for table ball games such as billiards and snooker until the late 19th century, even as they became far more widely played.

Ivory carving is a very suitable material for the intricate geometrical patterns of Islamic art, and has been much used for boxes, inlays in wood and other purposes.

Ivory carving was prevalent in South India, especially in Mysore and Tamil Nadu, and in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Ivory carving was not a prestigious material in the rather strict hierarchy of Chinese art, where jade has always been far more highly regarded, and rhinoceros horn, which is not ivory, had a special auspicious position.

In Japan, ivory carving became popular around the Edo period in the 17th century.