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Gallery:
Mammoth Ivory |
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 | Carved Mammoth Ivory Tusk
Qing Dynasty, Late 18th century
154"L. - 71.8424
The tusk is carved in great detail of thirty-eight horses in motion. The tusk is mounted on a dark Zitan wood table.
Mammoth tusk is a very rare and precious substance and is found buried deep in the Siberian permafrost and owes its rich historical and antique value to thousands of years of extinction. Between 1809 and 1910, the Siberian mining industry extracted nearly 6,000 metric tons of mammoth tusks. Over the last 350 years, approximately 7,000 tons of mammoth ivory has been imported into China.
Mammoth tusk is remarkably similar in appearance to elephant ivory, but because of the permafrost the surface is usually dark. The tusks are exposed to natural elements, extreme changes in temperature, and natural decay. Therefore, it is very unusual to find tusks that are both in good external condition, and internally solid without rotted cores.
To find a pair of finely preserved tusks belonging to the same mammoth is even more extraordinary.
Once unearthed, the tusks undergo various stages of preparation before being carved. When the outer layer has been removed, a beautiful material with a mellow color is revealed. Sometimes mineral salts in the earth cause the tusk to change colors creating a rare material that can range from blue green to reddish brown.
Image size: 33324 bytes |
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