A vintage Chinese carved ivory small puzzle ball on stand,…
click the photo to enlarge
A vintage Chinese carved ivory small puzzle ball on stand, traditional carved decoration, the tall stand with lathe turning, the base with split. Ball diameter approx. 3 cm.

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • 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

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A ladies small yellow gold Swiss bracelet wristwatch, lip manual wind movement with 18ct gold case and matching integrated mesh bracelet. TW 20gms.

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

Chinese carved ivory puzzle ball, on stand, diameter 9 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Chinese carved walking cane with conceale opium compartment, 19th century, 85 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Chinese carved ivory puzzle ball on stand, Republic period, early 20th century, a multi layered intricately carved ball with writhing dragon decoration upon a slender carved stand with an elephant motif and dragons to a circular base with a stiff leaf bo

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.