^56 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



by the use of pure benzine. This having been done, the 

 ivory is to be immersed in boihng water for from 15 to 20 

 minutes, according to the thickness of the specimens treated, 

 the length of time requisite in each particular case being 

 determined experimentally by an actual test of the degree 

 of softness acquired. Care must be taken to avoid an un- 

 duly rapid or irregular drying out of the material. Where 

 resort has been had to the phosphoric-acid treatment of 

 ivory plates, etc., to secure flexibility, the separate pieces 

 must not be allowed to come into contact with one another 

 while they are being again hardened in warm water.* 



A most interesting instance of the use at a very early 

 period of a moistening agent for the protection of ivory from 

 splitting or cracking, as a result of undue dryness, is fur- 

 nished by an ancient author, who states that because of the 

 dryness of the air in Athens, especially on the heights of 

 the Acropolis, it was customary to sprinkle water at inter- 

 vals over the great gold and ivory statue of Athene Parthe- 

 nos by the immortal Phidias. f 



The simple tools with which the Delhi ivory carvers 

 execute their very excellent work and of which the forms 

 are shown in the accompanying plate, are as follows :| 

 1, 2, 3, the dri, or saw, used for cutting through the "bark" 

 of the tusk, for cutting it off, and for the final cutting of the 

 ivory into pieces of requisite size, respectively; 4, the ken- 

 chi, for cutting the thin sheets of ivory into strips; 5, the 

 chhuri, or paring knife, used to prepare the work for carving; 

 6, the chhuri, or finishing knife, for preparing the work for 

 the operation of turning and rounding off the edges; 7, 

 the sohan, or file, used only for finishing larger work; 8, 

 the sohan, or rasp, with which the rough edges of holes are 



*Scientific American, Supplement No. 1886, p. 128, February 24, 1912. 

 fCited in Rodigini, col. 886. See also pp. 23, 24! of the present work. 

 JT. P. Ellis, "Ivory Carving in the Punjab," the Journal of Indian Art and Industry, 

 Vol. IX, No. 75, July, 1901, pp. 48,49. 



