Ivory Corpus Christi on Rosewood Cross
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A carved ivory Corpus Christi, mounted on a chamfered rosewood cross, length 32 cm, width 16 cm
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- Rosewood - A dense timber that varies in shade to very light brown to almost black. When rosewood is cut and sanded the colour of the timber will turn black, and after polishing and exposure to daylight, the surface will gradually lighten over time to light brown with black streaks.
The name comes from the odour emanating from the timber when it is planed, sanded or cut.
Rosewood was very popular for use in Victorian furniture in the second half of the 19th century, and at that time most of the rosewood was imported from Brazil. However it also grows in India and Indonesia.
It is used in the sold for chairs and table legs, but for carcase furniture such as side cabinets and bookcases, and for table tops it is always used as a veneer. - Bevel / Chamfer - In furniture making, a chamfered corner refers to a technique used to create a smooth, angled edge on the corner of a piece of furniture. This is typically done by cutting away a small portion of the corner at an angle, typically 45 degrees, creating a diagonal edge, rather than a sharp 90-degree angle. This technique can be used on various parts of a piece of furniture such as table legs, drawer fronts, or door frames. Chamfering can add visual interest to a piece and can help to soften the overall look of a piece of furniture. It is often used in conjunction with other techniques, such as rounding edges or using contrasting wood species to create a more elegant, sophisticated look. Chamfering is a simple way to add a touch of elegance to a piece of furniture and it is a common technique used by furniture makers.
- Ivory - Ivory is a hard white material that comes from the tusks of elephants, mammoth, walrus and boar, or from the teeth of hippopotamus and whales. The ivory from the African elephant is the most prized source of ivory. Although the mammoth is extinct, tusks are still being unearthed in Russia and offered for sale.
Ivory has been used since the earliest times as a material for sculpture of small items, both in Europe and the east, principally China and Japan.
In Asia ivory has been carved for netsuke, seals, okimono, card cases, fan supports, animals and other figures and even as carved tusks.
In the last 200 years in Europe ivory has been used to carve figures, for elaborate tankards, snuff boxes, cane handles, embroidery and sewing accessories, in jewellery and as inlay on furniture. Its more practical uses include being used for billiard balls, buttons, and a veneers on the top of piano keys.
The use and trade of elephant ivory have become controversial because they have contributed to Due to the decline in elephant populations because of the trade in ivory, the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), in 1975, and in January 1990, the African elephant was similarly listed. Under Appendix One, international trade in Asian or African elephant ivory between member countries is forbidden. Unlike trade in elephant tusks, trade in mammoth tusks is legal.
Since the invention of plastics, there have been many attempts to create an artificial ivory
This item has been included into following indexes:
- religious objects, Christian