Ivories Ancient and Mediæval

A concise handbook surveying ancient and medieval ivory carving, comparing true elephant ivory with walrus, narwhal, hippopotamus and fossil mammoth ivory, and discussing material properties and sourcing. It describes carving techniques, common forms (diptychs, reliquaries, triptychs, mirror-covers, combs, chessmen, staffs, and horn oliphants), regional styles and workshop practices, and provides catalog-like descriptions illustrated with woodcuts and plates drawn from museum collections. The text examines size and working of large plaques, the use of bone as substitute material, iconography, and functional contexts of objects, aiming to inform collectors and readers about history, manufacture, and classification of ivory artifacts.