Ivory carving

Relief cut into elephant tusk for book covers, icons, caskets and mirror cases.

Ivory casket carved with knights and ladies in low relief

Materials & tools

Elephant ivory
Saws and chisels
Gravers and files
Paint, gilding and metal mounts

Elephant ivory reached Europe by long-distance trade and was prized for its fine grain and pale, polished surface. Carvers sawed the tusk into plaques, drew the composition, and cut the relief with chisels and gravers, sometimes piercing the ground or adding paint and gilding. The shape of the tusk limits the size of a single plaque, which is why diptychs and caskets are assembled from several pieces.

The Met: Ivory Carving in the Gothic Era

The process

Step by step

1
Cut a plaque from the tusk
2
Draw or scratch the design onto the surface
3
Rough out the relief
4
Refine figures, drapery and openwork
5
Polish and, where wanted, paint or mount