112 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



shows the work of a practiced hand.* An ivory casket made 

 in Travancore in the seventeenth century is elaborately 

 carved and has higher artistic worth. f 



Indian ivory carving offers no more attractive work 

 than a statuette representing Ganesa, the elephant god of 

 the Hindu Pantheon. The details are all finely wrought 

 and testify to a complete mastery of the technique of ivory 

 carving on the part of the artist. Ganesa is seated, in an 

 almost erect posture, upon a small rock base having numer- 

 ous niches and grottos in which are carved a number of 

 figures including two archers with bows and arrows, a 

 huntsman, two elephants, a lion, an ox, an ape, a monkey, 

 a boar, and other animal designs more or less obscure. In 

 the foreground of the base appears the emblematic rat, an 

 almost invariable accompaniment of Ganesa figures. The 

 god holds in his trunk the leg of a human figure which hangs 

 suspended head downward. This admirable carving forms 

 part of the collection of Charles L. Freer, Esq., of Detroit, 

 Mich., who has kindly consented to have it figured in the 

 present work. 



The Northwest Provinces of India have but little to show 

 in the way of ivory carving. Scattered throughout this 

 region there are quite a number of workers willing enough, 

 and to a certain extent capable enough to do good work 

 in this branch, but there is little or no demand to stimulate 

 their efforts. At Lucknow there is a little more activity, but 

 not sufficient to adequately promote the industry; here are 

 produced combs, small toys, utensils for the application of 

 antimony to the eyes as a cosmetic, chessmen, card-cases, 

 small models of the Taj, paper-knives, paper-weights, han- 

 dles for sticks, etc., small boxes, and scissors. The art has 

 been handed down from father to son, and is at least free 



*Ibid., PI. 91. 

 tibid.. PI. 87. 



