Ivory Carving Research Articles

Carved Ivories from Til Barsib

Twelve carved ivories were discovered at Tell Ahmar (ancient Til Barsib) in Syria from excavations conducted by the University of Melbourne. The majority of the ivories come from the destruction debris of the earliest occupation phase of a large domestic structure (building C1). This destruction level can be dated to the second half of the seventh century B.C. on the evidence of cuneiform tablets discovered in the same level. The Til Barsib ivories can be assigned to various schools of Syrian ivory carving and find their closest parallels among the Nimrud ivories. Their presence in a domestic structure, as late as the second half of the seventh century, raises questions about the time when ivories ceased to be carved in Syria and about the social context in which they were used.

Evidence for Late Antique Bone and Ivory Carving on the Northeast Slope of the Palatine: The Palatine East Excavation

Evidence for Late Antique Bone and Ivory Carving on the Northeast Slope of the Palatine: The Palatine East Excavation

Courting, Harlotry and the Art of Gothic Ivory Carving

The iconographer's search for significance in late medieval amatory imagery is often over before it begins. Faced with the knowledge that--from the theological standpoint of the Middle Ages--true Meaning transcended the sensory realm to which both early love and artistic representation belonged, the interpreter may be left wondering what, if anything meaningful, is to be gained by considering art. What may be gained from a consideration of the art of Gothic ivory carving is an appreciation of its lively discourse on the limits of art, related specifically to the imaginative products of courtly culture. This discourse is fully developed in the ivory carvers' interpretation of the parable of the Prodigal Son, one example of which may be found on a casket in the Metropolitan Museum. Here, in a delightful visual game, the ivory carvers portrayed themselves as courtly artists only to reveal their art as harlotry. Despite its ultimately negative verdict on art, the narrative they constructed depended upon their...

The hand of the master: craftsmanship, ivory, and society in Byzantium (9th-11th centuries)

This is a detailed study of Byzantine ivory carving during an era when work in that medium reached its highest level of attainment. Unique in its aim and range, the volume considers how, when and why the Byzantines used ivory for icons and other luxurious items. Based on direct study of the objects, the book discusses more than 150 pieces and is illustrated with new photographs that provide an understanding of carving techniques and styles. The author analyzes the normal working methods of Byzantine carvers, as well as aspects of craftsmanship that enable the identification of specific sculptors. These observations are then made the basis of both a revised chronology and a more rigorous system of classification than has existed heretofore. Similarities and differences within this body of production allow answers to such broader questions as the functions of craftsmen in this society, their relations with clients and designers, and, ultimately, the significance of ivory in the visual culture of Byzantium.

The Samaria Ivories, Marzeaḥ, and Biblical Text

How important was the visual dimension of ancient texts to their signification? A comparative study of the renowned Samaria ivories helps to reconstruct the lost visual context of several Hebrew biblical texts. As the symbolic backdrop of the marzeaḥ, these carvings inform us about the meaning of this elite institution, and direct our attention to its powerful iconographic significance for the literature of the Hebrew Bible. Among other examples, the power of the visual image preserved in the ivory carving of the "woman at the window" facilitated and ironically undermined the 2 Kings account of the usurper Jehu's encounter with Queen Jezebel.

A comparative analysis of the settlements of Novoye Chaplino and Gambell

ABSTRACTGeographically separated by only 64 km, the Siberian Yupik-speaking communities of Gambell and Novoye Chaplino have endured a politically mandated separation of 40 years. During this period these two small, native comm unities have experienced enormous changes, changes often engendered by the social and economic policies of their nation states. The abandonment of small, native communities in Chukotka under the Soviet policy of ‘settlements without prospects’, the forced resettlement of Chaplino to Novoye Chaplino, and the reorganization of cooperatives into state farms have all had serious detrimental consequences for the organization of subsistence activities in this community. Gambell—with very little economic infrastructure, high unemployment, increased social problems, and some federaland state-mandated management of their natural resources — has managed to maintain high levels of subsistence production. The native language is spoken by youngsters in Gambell but not in Novoye Chaplino. Other important cultural features such as sharing, bride service, and ivory carving have been maintained in Gambell but have been lost in Novoye Chaplino. Contacts between the two communities under the recent policy ofglasnost'may bring a revival of these practices back to Novoye Chaplino.

Wisdom and compassion: the sacred art of Tibet

For centuries the priciples of Buddhism have inspired Tibetan artists to create some of the world's most sophisticated, profound and beautiful art. Tangkas, paintings, sculptures and mandalas provide a window on the enlightened realm of pure wisdom, the perfected universe that represents the ultimate goal of Buddhism. This book shows, explains and celebrates 240 Tibetan Buddhist works of art. Spanning a millenium, from the 9th to the 19th centuries, and ranging from tiny ivory carvings to a large-scale tapestry, these pieces are presented in terms of their religious meaning, their purpose and function.

Radiocarbon Dating of Ivory and Bone Carvings

Radiocarbon Dating of Ivory and Bone Carvings

Bodies by Rubens: Reflections of Flemish Painting in the Work of South German Ivory Carvers

ness of German relief artists vis-a-vis their graphic sources, Erika Tietze-Conrat revealed how these artists still remained dependent upon two-dimensional compositions.' My purpose in this note is to suggest some heretofore unremarked ways in which the carvers of ivory figures in the round also reflect the influence of such sources and, in particular, the extent to which their art was permeated and transformed by the style of Peter Paul Rubens. In the course of preparing Liechtenstein catalogue entries for two ivory sculptures which have recently been attributed to the Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian (see Figures 11, 13),2 my attention was drawn to two other carvings (one in Liverpool, the other in Buffalo, N.Y.), which, while not by the same hand, nonetheless appeared to relate to them in certain respects. Both previously published although not widely known, they are of considerable interest not only on their own account but also for the light they shed on the creative processes of their makers and the world of virtuoso ivory carving that flourished in southern Germany and Austria in the later seventeenth century. Of primary interest to the student of imagery is the relation each bears to the work of Rubens. The

The ivory carving industry of Zambia

Commercial ivory carving in Zambia began in the early 1970's. This was favoured by a relatively strong economy and easy availability of ivory. Legal trading required one to have a trophy dealer's licence which was granted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Zambia's period of economic growth was shortlived and with its decline, foreigners bought goods especially ivory carvings which would have value outside the country. The illegal killing of elephants escalated due to a sharp increase in the market price for raw ivory and the ineffectiveness of the anit-poaching units. In an attempt to manage the ivory trade the NPWS established the Zambia Ivory and Trophy Centre. The article cites some changes which the NPWS should initiate in the ivory trade, at a time when the government of Zambia is actively encouraging foreign tourism inclusive of both hunting and viewing animals.

Malawi's ivory carving industry

Reviews Malawi's ivory carving industry which began the 1920's but is based on an long history of trading in the raw product. Both trade and the industry itself increased until the late 1960's and early 1970's when the Office of Forestry and Game took over the trading in ivory. Registered ivory trophy dealers established themselves around the major cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre. The Department of National Park and Wildlife tended to protect the smaller ivory dealers from the richer, larger ones. Ivory carvers did not recieve a salary but were paid for their products. Over the past decade there has been significant movement of ivory into Malawi from the neighbouring countries. Apart from being a means livelihood for many Malawians, ivory carving earns the government a substantial amount of hard currency. The paper gives an estimate of the national elephant population as approximately 2350 located in nine areas, which for the most part are designated parks or reserves including Kasungu, Liwonde, Nyika NPs and Majete, Nkhotakota, and Vwaza Marsh GRs..

Glass Inlays and the Classification and Dating of Ivories from the Ninth-Eighth Centuries B.C.

The extensive use of glass inlays on ivories and as separate inlays together with ivories, presumably on the same furniture, is one of the features characteristic of Western Asiatic ivories dating from the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. Their introduction marked a clear departure from second millennium B.C. traditions of ivory carving and their disappearance after the eighth century B.C. coincided with the end of the Golden Age of Western Asiatic ivory carving.In this discussion I intend to call attention to some phenomena connected with the use of glass inlays on and together with ivories from the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. rather than presenting a full review of the subject — a project beyond the scope of the present study. It will be shown that the distinction between non-inlaid and inlaid groups of ivories in Phoenician style has a bearing on their attribution to different workshops and possibly also on their chronology.

A Note on Ivory Carving in Fourth Century Constantinople

Previous articleNext article No AccessArchaeological NotesA Note on Ivory Carving in Fourth Century ConstantinopleAlan CameronAlan Cameron Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Archaeology Volume 86, Number 1January 1982 The journal of the Archaeological Institute of America Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/504301 Citations: 1Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright © 1982 by the Archaeological Institute of America. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article: Alan Cameron Martianus and His First Editor, Classical Philology 81, no.44 (Oct 2015): 320–328.https://doi.org/10.1086/367009

Is There a South Syrian Style of Ivory Carving in the Early First Millennium B.C.?

The major assemblages of ivory carving preserved from the first millennium B.C. have generally been divided into two groups, Phoenician and North Syrian, and the classic characteristics of these groups are by now quite well established. However, if one defines Phoenicia as corresponding more or less to the coastal strip west of the Lebanon mountains, from the Carmel to Byblos, with the chief cities in antiquity as Tyre, Sidon, Arka, Arwad, Sarafand and Gebeil, and possibly including the Beka'a Valley and the Anti-Lebanon but certainly not further east; and if one defines North Syria as comprising the city states north of the Orontes Valley and south of the Taurus, from the Habur to the Amanus, including Gozan, Bit-Adini, Carchemish, Kummuh, Maras, Sam'al, Arpad, Patina/Unqi and possibly Hamath; then it will be noted that the territory occupied by these two regions in no way encompasses the entire Syro-Palestinian Levant. Notably absent is the area of the powerful kingdom of Aram, whose capital was at Damascus, as well as the kingdom of Israel, with its seat at Samaria—both of which geographical and political units figured prominently in the southern coalition of states met by Shalmaneser III of Assyria in 853 B.C. and in subsequent Assyrian campaigns to the West.

Accident prevention and health education: Back to the drawing board?

Some ancient Japanese ivory carvings consist of an intricate, often two-faced exterior shell within which a second or even a third, equally complex, figure is embedded. In like fashion, two of the most important questions confronting pediatrics today are closely related and contain within them several other equally profound puzzles. The first is how to prevent accidents—the leading killer of children in our time. The other is how to change health behavior, not only to reduce accidents or their consequences, but also in hope of promoting life-styles that will lead to positive health in other spheres. A second layer of questions pertains to the role and responsibilities of the health profession relative to others and, within health, to the role of practicing physicians relative to public health agencies, both in accident prevention and health promotion.

Some Leaves of a Franco-Saxon Atelier at Trier and Echternach: An Addendum to “Ivories from Trier”

In the June, 1974 issue of The Art Bulletin I showed that a group of ivory carvings and some related works very likely were created at Trier under the aegis of Archbishop Radbod (883–915) late in the 9th century.1 Since then I have come upon evidence that attests directly to my dating of these objects and that virtually confirms my localization of them.2 The “new” data are drawn from a securely dated and localized sacramentary now in Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale Lat. 9433, and its closest relatives.3

Phoenician and North Syrian Ivory Carving in Historical Context: Questions of Style and Distribution

The discovery of actual ivory objects more-or-less contemporary with the literary references during excavations of the Assyrian palaces at Nimrud in the mid-nineteenth century thus engendered great excitement. Barnett noted that the Syrian group was more restricted in variety of technique than the Phoenician. Barnett noted that the Syrian group was more restricted in variety of technique than the Phoenician, stating that, tfor example, 'cloisonnee' or inlay work in ivory was probably developed by the Phoenicians, was commonly used by them and only sparingly employed in the Syrian groupt. The impact of the Syrian representation is considerably stronger than the Phoenician. The chapter also presents a list of known collections of ivory carving of the first millennium B.C. in order to assign pieces to their appropriate stylistic families, and then to plot the occurrence of ?Syrian and ?Phoenician works on separate distribution maps.Keywords: Assyrian palaces; Barnett; mid-nineteenth century; north Syrian ivory carving; Phoenician ivory carvings

Carved Ivory Furniture Panels from Nimrud: A Coherent Subgroup of the North Syrian Style

Previous articleNext article No AccessCarved Ivory Furniture Panels from Nimrud: A Coherent Subgroup of the North Syrian StyleIrene J. WinterIrene J. Winter Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Metropolitan Museum Journal Volume 111976 Sponsored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/1512683 Views: 8Total views on this site Citations: 11Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1977 The Metropolitan Museum of ArtPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Ludovico Portuese Fear, Concern and Care in the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Die Welt des Orients 51, no.11 (Jun 2021): 28–57.https://doi.org/10.13109/wdor.2021.51.1.28Tamar Hodos Eggstraordinary artefacts: decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean world, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 7, no.11 (Aug 2020).https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00541-8Tamar Hodos, Caroline R. Cartwright, Janet Montgomery, Geoff Nowell, Kayla Crowder, Alexandra C. Fletcher, Yvonne Gönster The origins of decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, Antiquity 94, no.374374 (Apr 2020): 381–400.https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.14Canan Çakırlar, Salima Ikram ‘When elephants battle, the grass suffers.’ Power, ivory and the Syrian elephant, Levant 48, no.22 (Jul 2016): 167–183.https://doi.org/10.1080/00758914.2016.1198068Amy Rebecca Gansell, Jan-Willem van de Meent, Sakellarios Zairis, Chris H. Wiggins Stylistic clusters and the Syrian/South Syrian tradition of first-millennium BCE Levantine ivory carving: a machine learning approach, Journal of Archaeological Science 44 (Apr 2014): 194–205.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.11.005 Communicating Power in the Bīt-Ḫilāni Palace, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research , no.368368 (Nov 2012): 29–66.https://doi.org/10.5615/bullamerschoorie.368.0029John Boardman, I. E. S. Edwards, E. Sollberger, N. G. L. Hammond The Cambridge Ancient History, 20 (Mar 2008).https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521227179W. Culican Phoenicia and Phoenician colonization, (Jan 1992): 461–546.https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521227179.015D. Barag Glass Inlays and the Classification and Dating of Ivories from the Ninth-Eighth Centuries B.C., Anatolian Studies 33 (Dec 2013): 163–167.https://doi.org/10.2307/3642706Pirhiya Beck The Drawings from Horvat Teiman (Kuntillet 'Ajrud), Tel Aviv 9, no.11 (Jul 2013): 3–68.https://doi.org/10.1179/033443582788440827Irene J. Winter On the Problems of Karatepe: The Reliefs and their Context, Anatolian Studies 29 (Dec 2013): 115–151.https://doi.org/10.2307/3642735

Ivory Carvings in Early Medieval England. By John Beckwith. 15 × 10. Pp. 168 + 270 pls. London: Harvey Miller & Medcalf, Ltd., 1972. £15.

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A School of Romanesque Ivory Carving in Amalfi

A School of Romanesque Ivory Carving in Amalfi