Friday 26 December 2014

Mammoth Ivory Sculptures – All the Know How’s


Ivory!! Probably the first thing that comes into mind after this word makes an earshot is royalty. An ivory sculpture exudes a sheer amount of class, refinement and a sophisticated charm. Fixing one in your living room will lead to enhancing the aura of your house and will also garner you tons of complements from your visitors. However first time owners of ivory sculptures are often snowed under a lot of questions, clarifications to which are generally unavailable to people. 
Purchasing an ivory structure can turn out to be really tricky especially when there is so much hype around them. Therefore some questions are to be answered at behest before getting on to purchasing an ivory sculpture. 

List of 3 must to be Asked Questions before Purchasing Ivory Sculptures


1. What are the prime sources of Mammoth Ivory? 


Mammoth ivory is generally extracted from the fossilized carcasses of mammoths that were buried along the lengths of cold regions of arctic and Siberia. Mammoth ivory has proved to be void filler especially with the ban on elephant ivory.

2. How to Distinguish Between Fake and Real Ivory?


The best way to figure out the difference between an artificial and a real mammoth ivory sculpture is to subject it to the exposure of UV light. Under ultra violet light, real ivory will radiate bright blue color whereas a fake ivory tends to emit a dull blue light.

3. What Happens to an Aged Ivory Structure?


Ivory structures tend to deteriorate under high humidity and varying temperature. Under this condition, ivory structures absorb moisture that often leads to the shrinking and swelling of the structure. Many a times this situation also leads to cracking of the structure. Cases have been observed where staining of ivory structures also takes place under these conditions. So it is suggested to keep ivory structures away from this sort of environment. 
Let us now move on to some suggestions on purchasing a mammoth ivory structure.

Mammoth Ivory Sculpture buying Suggestions


Christian Carvings 


Christian carvings are the best way of lending your house a spiritual aura. You can shower the love of Christ upon your dear ones by adorning one of the Christina carvings built out of mammoth ivory.

Figurines


Figurines present the best way of getting your home to look more elegant and stylish. Figurines built out mammoth’s ivory come in various designs and shapes which provides you with an authentic appeal.

Jewelry


When it comes to ivory, jewelry is the nicest thing money can buy. Emanating a unique charm, ivory jewelry is the best way of showing your true love for your partner. 
Mammoth Ivory structures will hold their magnificence for a long time. Not only these structures carry sheer beauty but also radiate an inviting aura that is absolutely hard to resist. 


Thursday 12 June 2014

Ivory Carving: Everything You Need to Know



Ivory carving has a prehistoric and antique value of its own. Elephant tusk ivory and the fossil mammoth tusk ivory has been valued since ancient times for the creation of small sculptures. Carvers can achieve great artistic and emotional expressiveness in a compressed form because of the fine cutting edges. The surface is polished to make it alluring to touch. Ivory crafts have always been considered as a luxury article because of its qualities of fine grain, creamy light color, smooth texture, and soft luster. Carved ivory is used in numerous forms such as, décor, sculpture, ornament, or any utilitarian article like book covers for treasure bindings on the most precious illuminated manuscripts, handles, spoons, and inlays for caskets and furniture.

 The Origin


Medieval art history of Europe and Byzantium consider ivory carving as special because it has no bullion value and is not easily recycled like precious metals or jewels. Ivory carvings are in existence from Stone Age and most of them were found in southern France, particularly in the Dordogne region. Elephant tusks and hippopotamus teeth were carved from a very early period in ancient Egypt. Many combs, hairpins, and other utensils dating from the pre-dynastic and early dynastic periods have been found at various sites. 

In 1900, ivory carvers started using tools such as, ax, adz, or chisel for removing the outer bark, or rind, from the tusk; a bucksaw or bow saw for cutting the trunk of the tusk into sections; a special tool called a float for paring the surface; hand chisels, fretsaws, and gauges for actually carving the piece; power-driven rotary saws for cutting and peeling the ivory; dental drills for carving it easily and quickly. 

The Sources of Ivory

As we know that ivory carving is a term used for the carving of animal tooth or tusk, using sharp cutting tools, either mechanically or manually, so you can derive the main sources for this carving which are but not limited to:
•    Elephant tusks
•    Walrus tusks
•    Reindeer horn
•    Mammoth Ivory
•    Hippopotamus teeth
The ivory most frequently used is obtained from elephant tusks, but other types of ivory or substitute materials include the tusks, teeth, horns, and bones of the narwhal, walrus, and other animals, as well as vegetable ivory and synthetic ivories.
In a nutshell, we can say that Ivory Carving is an art for ornamental or useful purposes that is being practiced from primitive to modern times and has a special trade value world-wide.

 

Monday 21 April 2014

Fantabulous Antique Meissen Porcelain Figurine to Enhance the Elegance!

Antiques and period furniture have always been the desired choice as home décor especially the collectible figurines that include Meissen and Royal Doultan figurines. Antique Meissen porcelain dealers and collectors have various options available online. These online stores supply the finest and attractive porcelain antiques that reside in museums, art galleries, and Royal palaces.


19th Century Meissen Porcelain and Antiques


Meissen porcelain also known as Meissen china is the first European hard-paste porcelain that was developed from 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. Meissen has produced 175,000 original and new designs and it continues to do that. This extraordinary variety of wares is popular among private collectors and dealers. Some popular examples are Meissen child figurines, Meissen Art Nouveau figurines, Meissen Monkey Band figurines and Meissen Gallant Orchestra figurines. Meissen includes reutilization of old figurines as well as the contemporary designs in art nouveau, art deco, fifties, and later styles. 
Meissen porcelain is in existence from before the Seven Years War. The items especially those which can be attributed to a master ceramist such as Kandler commands substantial sums at auction. Serious collectors are prepared to sell out tens of thousands for the finest antiques.

Initially, the rarity and expense of Meissen porcelain could only attract the posh customers. Meissen took orders from the elites of Russia, France, England and other European countries. The European wealthy accumulated vast collections and when a wealthy class emerged in the United States people like the Vanderbilts started their own collections. Many of these collections then found their way into the world's great museums and art galleries.


Some of the Flabbergasting Meissen Porcelain Antiques


Antique Meissen porcelain 19th c. Figurine of the wool Man 



Measurements:

In Inches:
Width: 5.5 In, Height: 7.125 In , Length: 5.0 In 
In Centimetres: 
Width: 14 Cm, Height: 18 Cm , Length: 13 Cm 


19th century Meissen Porcelain Child satyr carrying the infant Bacchus




This is a statue of young figures resting on a naturalistic base with a tambourine to the side. It has crossed swords mark to base, also incised D28.

Measurements:

In Centimetres:
Width: 10.0 Cm, Height: 18.5 Cm , Length: 14.0 Cm 
In Inches: 
Width: 4 In, Height: 7 In , Length: 6 In 


Meissen Porcelain figurine of Boy of The Grapes



This figurine is depicting a boy holding basket of Grapes in one hand while on the other hand he’s holding another basket of grapes with stick over his shoulder. It has crossed swords in underglaze blue.

Measurements:

In Centimetres:
Width: 7.5 Cm, Height: 14.5 Cm , Length: 6.0 Cm 
In Inches: 
Width: 3 In, Height: 6 In , Length: 2 In 
In short, we can conclude that possessing Antique Meissen Porcelain has become an easy task. Antique dealers and collectors can browse through an enormous collection of artefacts online and get the most appealing statuette to enhance the grace of art galleries, museums, or royal places.