Intricate Ivory Netsuke Figures of Seven Gods of Fortune
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.
- 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 - Hairwork on Chinese and Japanese Ivory - Hairwork refers to the finely carved details of hair or fur on carved Chinese and Japanese ivory figures carved using a small knife or chisel and required great skill and precision. Hairwork was a popular decorative element on Chinese ivory carvings during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and was used to add a sense of realism and texture to the figures.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
Tortoiseshell paper knife with sterling silver motif on handle, 7.5 cm long approx
A fine, old authentic Karahut figure, Abelam people, north of the middle Sepik river, woven from hibiscus bark twine and sennit fibre, decorated with boar's tusks, small nassa shells with applied ochre and charcoal paints, 33 cm
Chinese Republic (1912-1949) period ivory figure, of a fisherman, on carved wooden stand, 22.9 cm high (total.) . Ex: Sydney private collection
Manolo Blahnik, black satin stilettos, pointed toe with crystal embellished ankle strap, leather lining and suede leather soles, stamped 'Manolo Blahnik, Made in Italy', with dustbag and box, size 35.5