Is Ivory Carving in Vogue?

It is a common misconception that ivory comes solely from elephant tusks but there are, in fact, many different types. Ivory can be obtained for carving from the teeth or tusks of many animals including the mammoth which became extinct during the Ice Age. In Siberia alone it is believed that there are still some 10 million mammoths buried in the area so there is ample ivory to be harvested from this source and therefore no animal need die in the pursuit of Ivory Carving.

The carving of ivory dates back to prehistoric times and through the ages the many ornamental things that were produced from it became coveted, prized and valued in many countries of the world and within many civilizations. Elephant ivory was for many years the material of choice because it was so easy to work with, being soft and obtainable in large pieces. Unfortunately man's love of ivory carving almost rendered the elephant extinct and it is now an illegal practice for obvious reasons. However, there are still many antique articles available for purchase which ivory carving collectors pay highly for. Many of these items find their way very quickly into vast private collections.

Mammoth tusks are also relatively easy to work with for carving but come in different colors depending on where they were buried. The outer layers of the tusks have absorbed various minerals and components of the earth so they may be brown, a bluish green or possibly grey in color however, as the layers are worked through the interior will ultimately produce a pure ivory color. Ivory carving has been prevalent in Europe, China, India, Eastern Asia and Africa almost since time began and many religions icons were carved from it.

Particularly ornate carvings can be found that are associated with the Islam religion because ivory lends itself as a material to be used for the intricate carving of the Islamic symbols. In Egypt many weapons with ivory handles have been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs along with trinket boxes, caskets and items of jewelry exquisitely inlaid with ivory carving. In Greece, Germany, France and the Netherlands examples can be found of statues and statuettes from almost every period in history. In China beautiful chess sets were produced together with chopsticks, room screens and furniture.

Japan too found many artistic ways to demonstrate the art of ivory carving producing toggles for purses and netsuke. There are innumerable examples around the globe of the versatility of ivory for carving purposes throughout history and up to the present day. For many years in some cultures a gift of an elephant carved from ivory or an object with elephants inlaid in ivory was a popular gift for lovers based on the memory of the elephant. If someone received such a gift they would never forget who gave it to them.

Anita Satin Choudhary writes for Ivory Carving Art Gallery. Browse the gallery for unique collection of artifacts of Ivory Carving.

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