Antique Ivory Page Turners with Silver and Steel Decoration

• 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
• Cut Steel Decoration - Cut steel decoration is a technique used in the production of jewelry and other decorative items that involves cutting steel pieces into small, faceted shapes and then attaching them to a metal base. These small steel pieces, often called "cut steel beads" are then arranged to form intricate designs, and then attached to a metal base to create a piece of jewelry. This technique was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly during the Georgian and Victorian eras.
  
  The steel pieces were usually cut with a chisel and hammer, the process was time consuming and labor-intensive, and required a high level of skill. The steel was cut and shaped into small beads or other decorative shapes, and then polished to a high shine. These beads were then strung together or attached to a metal base to create a piece of jewelry or other decorative item.
  
  Cut steel decoration was often used to create jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, as well as other decorative items, such as buttons and buckles. The jewelry was particularly popular during the Georgian and Victorian eras, as it was considered fashionable and was relatively inexpensive to produce.
• Embossed / Repousse - Embossing, also known as repousse, is the technique of decorating metal with raised designs, by pressing or beating out the design from the reverse side of the object.It is the opposite of chasing, where the decoration is applied from the front. An embossed or repoussed object may have chasing applied to finish off the design.

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• page turners - ivory 87