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Which animals provided ivory for traditional carvings besides elephants?
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ivory carving
Kinugumiut Inupiat incised walrus ivory shaman's figure, c. 1890; in the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution, New York City.
While elephant tusks have been the primary material for ivory carving throughout history, several other animals provide ivory that has been used for artistic and utilitarian purposes. These include:12
- Walrus: Their tusks have been widely used, particularly by the Inuit for tools and decorative objects, as well as in the practice of scrimshaw.34
- Mammoth: Buried tusks from these extinct mammals have historically served as a source of carving material.35
- Hippopotamus: Their teeth were utilized for carvings in ancient Egypt and are recognized as a source of ivory.15
- Whales: The teeth of sperm whales are a traditional material for scrimshaw.14
- Other mammals: The teeth of certain wild boar and warthog species, as well as the narwhal, are also classified as ivory-bearing.1
It is important to note that the trade and use of ivory have contributed to the severe decline of many species, most notably the African elephant, leading to international bans on the ivory trade to protect these animals from poaching.1