Ivory Crafts

K.L. Kamat/Kamat's Potpourri

Jewelry Box Carved Out of Ivory

Among the most intricate and painstaking crafts of India is ivory-carving. Presently banned in the effort to preserve elephant populations , the various centers in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal previously specialized in particular types of articles, expressing regional characteristics and artistic influences. Powder boxes, inlaid jewelry boxes, models, figures of gods and of animals, cuff-links, napkin rings, lamp-stands with lovely floral and animal motifs, varieties of costume jewelry, earrings, brooches, bangles, boo marks and cocktail pins, all exquisitely carved, are some of the objects of utility and artistic beauty produced by the ivory craftsmen of India.

See Also:

• Indian Elephants -- Section on the elephants of India explores their use in temples, as work-force, and their role in Indian society; includes a FAQ and a number of pictures.