Ivory Carving

IVORY CARVING The Material.—In approaching the subject of ivory carving it is necessary first to consider the material in so far as it con cerns the carver. Ivory, strictly speaking, is the tusk of the elephant : the tusk being the upper incisor tooth. For practical purposes the term must be allowed to include morse or walrus ivory, hippopotamus ivory and even certain kinds of bone and horn. The best ivory comes from tropical Africa. Asiatic ivory is whiter, more opaque and somewhat softer. The tusk is hollow at the end where it joins on to the jaw-bone; the walls gradually become thicker until, at about half the length, the tusk becomes solid; from here to the tip runs a nerve centre which shows in the cross section as a black spot ; the tusk is covered with a rough bark of a hard pithy nature, brown on the outside and greenish white within; the thickness of the bark varies with the size of the tusk from in. or so. The whole of the bark must be moved in carving. Seen in cross section the tusk shows a number of minute intersecting tubes radiating from the centre outwards, giving rather the appearance of engine turning on the back of a watch. The pores of the substance contain a waxy solution, which renders the ivory amenable to the carving tool and also helps to give it its characteristic polish. With age this waxy solution tends to dry out and cracks appear on the surface of the ivory— cracks which in no way detract from its beauty.

But, generally speaking, it does not perish for thousands of years; and, as the surface does not crumble or corrode like stone or bronze, we get in ivory carvings of past ages more nearly the work as it actually left the hands of the artist than is the case with most other materials. Age also gives to ivory a variety of hues—from deepest chestnut to the colour of boxwood. The biggest tusks weigh nearly 200 lb. and measure from 8 f t.–I o f t. These are rare. From such a tusk it may be possible to get a slab 18 in. X 6 in. X a in. thick. Owing to the curvature of the tusk through nearly a semi-circle it is difficult to get a larger area and thickness than this. An exceptionally solid point may

give a figure in the round of 2 ft. 6 in. in length. These dimensions are not quoted as being absolute limits for size. Chemically, ivory may be placed between bone and horn and is a substance of great elasticity. It has a very pronounced grain running length wise. It is carved on the side and not on the end grain.

The Tools.

The tools used in ivory carving are few and simple. Within historic times they do not appear to have varied. They are as follows :— I. Bow Saw.—This is a narrow saw, say i o in.–i 2 in. in length, stretched like a bow string on a wooden frame. With this the tusk may be sawn into lengths or slabs. [Note: When available a small-toothed circular machine saw is much quicker, more accu rate and less wasteful than the bow saw for the preliminary cutting of ivory.] 2. Float.—(See Illustration.) This is a triangular tapering tool in a wooden handle. Two of the three faces are cut across into small ridges throughout their length. By holding the handle in the right hand and forcing one of the ridged faces outwards and obliquely over the surface of the ivory, shreds of the substance may be pared off.

3. Gouge and Mallet.—Small gouges, up to about in., tem pered as for wood-carving, may be used with a mallet. The carving should always be with the grain and the mallet must not be used with violence. Great care and some experience are necessary as the ivory will break or flake some little distance ahead of the tool.

4. Rasp and File.—Fine rasps and medium files will be found useful at many points of ivory carving.

5. Chisel.—(See Illustration p. 221.) After the roughing out has been done, this small tool comes into use. The ball handle is held firmly in the centre of the palm ; the blade is held near the point between the thumb and forefinger. Considerable force must be exerted in each cut, pressure being given with the wrist and forearm.