Oriental Ivory Carvings: Puzzle Ball, Skull, Elephant & Stand
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Four Oriental carved ivory items including puzzle ball on stand, late 19th century / early 20th century, comprising a Chinese intricately carved five layer puzzle ball with writhing dragon decoration to outer orb, upon a slender carved figural stand and circular base with a stiff leaf border, a fine memento mori skull pierced to the underside, and an elephant figure on a shaped ebonized stand, height 19 cm (ball on stand)
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- 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 - Memento Mori - A memento mori is an artistic or symbolic reminder of mortality. Literally translated from the Latin it reads: "remember that you will die". They are found in art, architecture, horology, music and jewellery.
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