Through the centuries Materials Themes and Functions

Ivory carving

Ivory was considered an especially valuable material during the Middle Ages. At times, its value was even greater than that of gold or gemstones. Although true ivory was obtained from the tusks of elephants, beginning in the 12th century, similar carving materials were gleaned from other animals such as the walrus. The rare organic raw material was easy to work with and highly coveted on account of its luminous, silky white surface that was reminiscent of human skin. Only African ivory was available in the Early Middle Ages since the trade routes to India had not yet been established. These trade routes were disrupted by the waves of Arab conquest and the “white gold” only became available again towards the end of the 8th century – and then only in very small amounts. For this reason, ivory was at first only used in the immediate environs of the Carolingian court. In Carolingian and Ottonian times, this scarcity was overcome by recycling older ivory reliefs, usually from the Late Antique period. Book covers for liturgical manuscripts were made by carving new, ornate reliefs onto their reverse sides; examples of this are the Harrach Diptych and the Victor and Gereon Plaque. Beginning in the 14th century, comparatively large amounts of ivory were once again available for carving, and reliefs, small statues and luxury articles for secular use were created in large numbers. Even after the Middle Ages, the popularity of ivory did not wane because it could be used to make very skilful artistic carvings that were in high demand from art collections.

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