Bone and ivory carving

Definition

The carving of bone and, historically, ivory into figurines, plaques, combs and inlay elements, also used as a component in khatam.

History

Small carved bone figures and plaques from the early Islamic period survive in museum collections, though dating is often broad. Contemporary work largely uses camel bone.

Dates and attributions here summarise common scholarly positions and are under editorial review; they are not definitive.

Technique

Cleaned and dried bone is sawn, shaped with knives and files and polished; small pieces are cut for inlay work.

Collecting and identification

Material identification (bone versus ivory or synthetics) and legal restrictions on ivory must be considered; cracks and staining are common.

This guidance is educational only and is not an authentication or valuation service.

Reference samples

The reference samples on this page are documented objects in public collections, shown with their holding institution's attribution and licence. They illustrate the craft and are not for sale.

گالری

تصاویر نمونه‌هایی معرف هستند، نه سندی برای رکوردهای نمونهٔ بازارچه. منبع و وضعیت مجوز آن‌ها در بخش اعتبارهای عکاسی آمده است.

بازارچه

در حال حاضر هیچ شیئی از این صنعت فهرست نشده است.

دانش مرتبط

منابع و مآخذ

• Book: Wulff, H. E. The Traditional Crafts of Persia. MIT Press, 1966.
• Museum catalogue: Cleveland Museum of Art, Open Access collection records for Iranian objects (accessed 2026-09-24).

در جایی که خاستگاه، تاریخ یا نمادشناسی محل مناقشه است، این مدخل روایت‌های رقیب را بیان می‌کند نه اینکه میان آن‌ها یکی را برگزیند. تحلیل سردبیری به‌عنوان واقعیتِ مستند ارائه نمی‌شود.