XXXI 



IVORY 



laro-e 



Ivory work attained g^reat perfection 

 Chinese, Japanese, and I'lindns. It is 

 a curious fact that next to religious 

 objects some of the most exquisite ex- 

 amples of ivory-carving are chessmen, 

 and many beautiful examples come from 

 China. Favourite subjects among the 

 ivory carvers of India are the gods 

 worshipped by the Hindus. 



The Japanese ivory-carvers are best 

 known in the Western world by their 

 skill in producing clever, ingenious and 

 often life-like figures of animals in their 

 well-known nitsuke or 

 S(ime of them 

 a r e ni a d e 

 from the tusk 

 of the nar- 

 whal, and 

 tourists are 

 often invited 

 to buy them 

 on the ground 

 that they are 

 made from 

 the horn of 

 the unicorn. 



Ivory is 

 also employ- 

 ed as an inlay 

 material for 

 fancy tables, 

 and it has 

 even been 

 used in Imlk 

 for the con- 

 struction of 

 chairs and 



imono- 



399 



the 



]]atives of East Africa and the Congo Forest 

 fashion trumpets from tusks, A powerful nuui can 

 iiiaUc a great noise with one. On the West Coast 

 tliey are used in fotisli worship. (ISriti.sh Museum.) 



thrones. Solomon's 



xri 



at thi 



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