260 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



The writer we have just quoted draws attention to the 

 slowness and crudeness of the methods here employed 

 when compared with those used in Europe, and also to the 

 great apparent loss of material, as the chips and sawdust 

 seem not to be utilized as they might be, and as they are 

 utilized in European workshops. This waste of time and 

 material constitutes a heavy handicap on the Indian work- 

 man, more than offsetting his advantage over European 

 workers in the matter of cheap living, so that he is unable 

 to withstand the European competition. 



The making of spurious examples of antique ivory carv- 

 ing is an art by itself. The slight cracks that develop in 

 old ivories are imitated in the fresh material by dipping 

 this in very hot water and then subjecting it to the action 

 of a hot fire; as a result the ivory fibres split and the illu- 

 sion is complete. The antique "tone" is imparted by 

 subjecting the new material to a fumigation of tobacco, 

 tannin, or moist hay, or else resort can be had to a bath in 

 ochre, wherein the ivory should remain for several days 

 until the colouring matter has been absorbed. WTiile, how- 

 ever, it may not be difficult to imitate general appearances 

 in these ways so as to deceive all but thoroughly competent 

 experts, the character and quality of the design itseK will 

 usually afford good evidence as to the genuineness of the 

 supposed antique. Apart from this the marks of the turn- 

 ing-lathe, not used in early times, are also signs of fraud; 

 this may appear in the cylindrical form of a cross or of the 

 base of a statuette or group. In a like way the concentric 

 rays on reliefs made by the machine on ivory boxes will 

 infallibly betray the modern origin of the work. In the 

 case of spurious patina, all that is requisite to reveal it is 

 to wash the object lightly with water or alcohol; this must, 

 however, be done with the greatest care and is often a some- 

 what risky proceeding, since some too thorough process of 



