20 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



Guilhou Collection, is believed to be Cyprian work of the 

 sixth century B. C. The sides bear archaic figures of 

 women reclining at a banquet, and the casket is surmounted 

 by the figure of a lion. Traces of colouring remain on the 

 mouth and hind legs of the lion and also on the garments of 

 one of the women and on the cushion on which she leans.* 



On the site of the famous Phoenician city of Sidon a small 

 ivory casket has been found. On one of the sides is carved 

 the representation of a woman smelling a lotus flower she 

 holds in both hands. This casket is believed to be the work 

 of a Cypriote artist, both because of its similarity in design 

 to other work from that island and because in the sixth 

 century B. C, the date assigned conjecturally to the casket, 

 ivory was very freely used for ornamental purposes in Cyprus. 

 In 1889 Dr. Ohnefalsch-Richterf dug up on this island a 

 number of swords and knives having hilts inlaid with 

 ivory. 



The coffer of Kypselus, dedicated by him about 600 B.C., 

 to the Temple of Hera at Elis, was adorned with bas-reliefs 

 in ivory, as were many ancient coffers. Two plaques used 

 in this way have come down to us, showing the holes through 

 which they were pinned to the wooden framework. These 

 were found at Isca Silurum and represent, respectively, a 

 tragic mask and a nymph leading a boy with a basket of 

 fruit. { 



The ancient sepultures of Spain have preserved some 

 most striking specimens of Phoenician ivory carving, of 

 the type produced for exportation to the many lands with 

 which the Phoenicians had commercial relations. These 



*Pollak, "Archaisches Elfenbein," Mitteilungen des Kaiserlich-deutschen Instituts, 

 Vol. XXI., Roma, 1906, pp. 314-330; PI. XV. 



tMax Ohnefalsch-Richter, "Kypros, the Bible and Homer," Vol. I, Text, London, 

 1893, p. 140; the side of the earUest is figured in Vol. II, PL CXV, Fig. 4. 



JKing, "Antique Gems and Rings," London, 1873, p. 296. 



