Where Does Ivory Come From?
Elephant ivory tusks,african elephants ivory,ivory and elephant
If you want the simplest definition of Ivory, then you can refer to it
as “the teeth of animals”. The reason we say animals is that Ivory does
not come only from elephants as is commonly believed; there are other
mammals too that provide us with ivory for antique items. And of course,
you have synthetic ivory too.
These teeth can be likened to dense bone and antlers, consisting of collagen
and minerals. There is no circulatory system in ivory. Each species has
differently-structured ivory.
So let us take a look at the origin of all our antique ivory items—
(1) The commonest know ivory comes from elephants, both Indian and African.
Ancient tusks would have originated from Mastodons and Mammoths. These
tusks or teeth can stretch up to three yards, which is why they are coveted
so much. If you should take a look inside an elephant’s tusk, you would
discover that around one-third to one-half of it is hollow.
There is something very special about elephant ivory. Known as the Lines
of Retzius, they are visible in cross-section. These fine intersecting
lines create the shape of a diamond between them (engine-turned effect).
You would therefore find it easy to carve this ivory into any shape you
want. Despite its length, an elephant’s tusks can be utilized to form
thin piano keys and other delicate objects. As soon as it is cut, the
pores get filled up with an oily substance. As a result, this ivory gives
a great polished appearance! Hence, you will observe ivory items that
have been carved from elephant tusks bearing paint or stains or dyes or
gilding.
(2) Would it surprise you to know that the Hippopotamus has ivory that
is placed only next to the elephant’s in the list? Of different sizes,
this animal’s ivory comes from its incisors and lower canines. Additionally,
there is thick enamel on these teeth. As compared to the elephant’s tusks,
hippo ivory is more difficult to carve as it is denser. The advantage
is that it does not rot as easily as elephant ivory. So we use it for
flat stuff such as buttons and inlays.
(3) Giving competition to the elephant is the Walrus. Its upper canines
can stretch beyond two feet in length. Though not as popular as the elephant
or the hippopotamus, the walrus does make its contribution to the antique
world. Small objects can be carved from its teeth.
(4) Not to be confused with the Walrus, the Sperm Whale offers thirty
teeth (each eight inches long and three inches across) for making ivory
objects. The first half of each tooth is hollow. People tend to get confused
between the Walrus and the Sperm Whale because of their similar ivory.
(5) Ivory can come from birds too! There is one such bird that dwells
in the East Indies—the Helmeted Hornbill (helmet = casque/epithema). What
sits on its head is a hard and closely-textured horn. The Chinese especially,
are fond of creating brooches and buckles from this ivory. The interior
of the horn is yellow and the rim is scarlet.
(6) If animals and birds can give so much, will plants like to be left
behind? No, of course! So the inner seed of the South American Ivory Palm
offers vegetable ivory. Hard and solid, these seeds have a similar shape
and size to a small hen’s eggs. Dice and buttons can be made easily from
these cheap and smooth seeds. They can absorb dyes as well as good polish.
They are being replaced by plastics in modern times.
(7) Now, it is not possible for everyone to obtain ivory, plus no one
wants animals to go extinct for the sake of ivory. Hence, Alexander Parkes
came up with marvelous ivory substitutes in 1865. Celluloid and Casein
are their names! As a matter of fact, Celluloid aids in creating such
brilliant imitations of the real stuff that it is hard to differentiate
between them and the originals; chemical tests are the only solution!
There are fancy names for these faux items—Genuine French Ivory, Ivoride,
Ivorine, and French Ivory.
So, there’s your range; pick whatever you want!
