Is Your Valuable Carving Fake Ivory?
The basic definition of ivory is the teeth and tusks that are most completely consistent of the material called dentine. When it comes to being able to recognize the different types of ivory, there are different ivory characteristics to look for. In an example, ivory that is cross sections cut the ivory will displays the pattern of intersectional arches that can be seen when looking down the ivory piece lengthwise. There have also been fake ivory items made from re-constructed powdered bones, but the color and weight will often give these types of fake ivory materials away very quickly to the real ivory collector.
The basic definition of ivory is the teeth and tusks that are most completely consistent of the material called dentine. This is a whitish creamy color of opaque material that is mostly calcium phosphate and a little of collagen. This dentine material is enamel covered, and just like our tooth enamel, it will often show more wearing off of the enamel overtime. What many do not realize about ivory tusks is that they are made of the same material as teeth, but they are just larger and protruding outside the mouth instead. This is a common confusion for many individuals when trying to decipher what ivory truly is.
Pure ivory does not come from just one specific species like the elephant for example, but ivory can come from the tusks or teeth of also of walruses, various kinds of whales, hippopotamuses, African elephants, Asian male elephants, wooly mammoth remains, and the pig or wild boar or wart hog family of animals.
When it comes to being able to recognize the different types of ivory, there are different ivory characteristics to look for. The ivory should have a feeling of silkiness and a high glossy feel. In an example, ivory that is cross sections cut the ivory will displays the pattern of inter sectional arches that can be seen when looking down the ivory piece lengthwise. There will be variations of wavy irregular lines when viewing the ivory down a length direction.
There are trickery types of materials that individuals will try to deserve others as real ivory, and the most common material is bone. The bone of animals is colored the same, and when they are in smaller versions of so-called artistic handcrafted items, the confusion is extremely easy. But the difference is that most all bone types of items are hollow in the middle and this is the biggest give away in false ivory handcrafted items.
Antler is another form of fake ivory, so there should be knowledge of that antler is actually darker than that of real ivory with a honeycomb center. Plastic is also a false replacement for real ivory, but if it is a lighter than expected piece of ivory artwork then you can often assume that there is fakeness such as plastic type of material. There have also been fake ivory items made from re-constructed powdered bones, but the color and weight will often give these types of fake ivory materials away very quickly to the real ivory collector.
Sagiv Shats writes for Ivory and Art Gallery. Browse the gallery for unique collection of artifacts ranging from mammoth ivory to netsuke
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