Ivory carving was a popular art form from the 4th to 15th centuries, especially in Western Europe. Artists used tools like axes and chisels to sculpt ivory into religious figures, secular objects, and personal items. The most common subject was the Virgin and Mary, though ivory was also used for diptychs, caskets, chess sets, and sculptures depicting courtly love or literature. Major workshops producing ivory sculpture were located in Paris, Venice, and the Netherlands. By the 15th century, diminished economies and conflicts in Europe reduced the demand for ivory artwork.
This week we look at the vast range of things that have been made by humans in various times and places, considering them by the uses to which they have been put.
This week we look at the vast range of things that have been made by humans in various times and places, considering them by the uses to which they have been put.
Visibility and Power: An 18th Century Conversation PieceYHRUploads
Annie Roberts's essay, titled Visibility and Power: An 18th Century Conversation Piece, comprises part of The 1701 Project, a venture led by The Yale Historical Review.
![Ivory? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Above is a collection of average tools used to sculpt an ivory figure.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)