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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. Objects carved in ivory are often called "ivories".
Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers , engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales , the baleen of other whales , and the tusks of walruses .
Ivory has been valued since ancient times in art or manufacturing for making a range of items from ivory carvings to false teeth, piano keys, fans, and dominoes. [9] Elephant ivory is the most important source, but ivory from mammoth , walrus , hippopotamus , sperm whale , orca , narwhal and warthog are used as well.
The carved hole in the shank is the natural color. Species in the genus Phytelephas (literally "elephant plant"), native to South America , are the most important sources of vegetable ivory. The seeds of the Caroline ivory-nut palm from the Caroline Islands , natangura palm from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu , [ 1 ] and the real fan palm , from ...
When working with ivory objects it is important to wear white cotton gloves and if none are available be sure to thoroughly wash hands prior to touching the object. [8] Since ivory is a porous material it is susceptible to staining. Ivory will yellow and/or brown with repeated contact to skin, fatty acids, and oils.
Elephant Ivory. The quality of the craft of pyxides was vital due to the expense of ivory. Among Islamic, Christian, and Roman carvings, a sign of good workmanship was a lack of tool marks. [11] The carving of small objects such as pyxides took precision and time which also added to the overall price. [12]
Around 1160 northern European ivory carving was greatly reduced, which may well be because the material was less easily available. Around 1260, at the start of the Gothic period, elephant ivory began to reach Europe again, and the industry greatly increased. [4] The Norse also carved items in walrus ivory, notably the Lewis chessmen.
Inuit sculptures had been produced prior to contact with the Western world. They were small-scale and made of ivory. In 1951, James Houston encouraged Inuit in Kinngait to produce stone carvings. [24] It was mostly men who took up carving. Oviloo Tunnillie was one of the few women to work in sculpture and to garner a national reputation. [25]