Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-07-19
Curio,ities of the Ivory Trade.

| ing It; and the LABOR anu inSeHuitJ iS1'
site III its manufacture, or its importance
as an article ofuse and commerce, are per-
baps less generally understood. From Its
essential uyoperties, Its indestructibility and
beautiful appearance, it would be dlihcult
to find substitute for it, nothing bsIng
vet suggested for some of the purposes ioi
which ivory is used. The most important
of these is the manufacture of piano keys,
which requires the whitest and most selecl
as also the making OF balls for billiards ana
other games in which they are required
Next It is used by turner's in making num-
berless useful and ornamental opJec's' oy
comb-makers, who consume large quantl-
ties: by philosophical instrument makers,
umbrella makers, &c., and by artists, Tor
whom il presents the choicest tablets upon
which miniatures can be painted. Surgi-
cal instrument makers employ 1t Tor nan
dies TO the instruments with which they de-
prive us of our grinders, and rings upon
which lnfantile humanity ease the paags
theirs create in making their progress
through the gums. The best quality is IN
d;cated by the size Of the tusk, and char
acterized by its hardness, density, purity
of color, and translucence, the latter oeing
perceptible by testing thinly-sawed taolet'
and holding il between the eye and strong
Iiobt. It is obtained from other animals
besides the elephant. The sea-horse yields
pair of teeth highly esteemed where e1,
treme baydnes. is required the outside OF
them being covered by an enamel so ,. ex'
ceedingIy finty as to strike flre as reaq1ly
as steel, when stricken against mint. De-
fore being worked, however, this external
surface must be removed by immersion IN
strong acid, after which it yields to tool
edge. although even then It is dlthcuit 10
work BEFORE the invention OF mineral
teeth the toothless were indebted 10 ms
animal for the means Of masticatlon; and
had not chemical science revealed the su-
periority of porcelain, it would ProoaDly
have still been the favorite material. we
were shown, by an importer OF the article,
LOT of sea.horse tusks, measuring nearly
two and half feet in length, consisting oil
ivory of the finest description, and sustain
inc a better polish than that Of the elephant
though it is not so highly esteemed. In con-
sequence of its tendency to become tarn-
ished. Some other sea animals yield IVORY
among which are the walrus, narwhal' u
The tusk of an elephant is solid only about
half its length, the remainder being similar
to the horn of cow,-hollow and compar-
atively thin. We saw at MIR. Phyte's
ware-rooms in Murray street, tusk about
six inches in diameter, having lmoedded IN
its centre bullet, the place OF Its entrance
being entirely overgrown, presenting the
appearance of having been inserted by the
incest art The tusks weigh from one to
one hundred and eighty pounds each, ac-
cordine to the size of the animals from
which they are taken, about two-thirds OF
which is available for manufac Turing purpo-
ses
Nine tenths of all the ivory brought d.
rectlv 10 the United States comes from Aan,
;bsr m Africa to the port of Salem and
this is all large-a lot of twenty thousand
mounds which we saw averaging eighty
mounds to the tusk 1t has been conjec-
iiured that eventually the supply would be
.topped on account of the extinction Of the
animal bnt this. we are informed by those
conversant with the subject, is not proba-
BILE. large quantities being brought from the
unexplored interior of Africa by the ma
tives, and sold to traders on the coast, OF
which part is obtained from animals who
have died naturally; the elephant being
too large game to be seriousl y affected by
the weapons of the savages. The dealer
can readily discern BY The appearance of
the tooth whether it is taken from fresh
" slain animal or not. Some OF them, bro
ken and mutiated, give evidence OF deadly
encounters their proprietors have had in
their native jungles, while others are gnaw-
ed bv African rats probably, for the teeth
marks are large and deep incisions. The
English traders, owing to their superior IA
crlities have the monopoly Of the market
in India and in Africa, and the choicest ar
ticIes can only be obtained from them. In
price it varies from seventy-five cents TO
one dollar and seventy-fve.cents per pound,
nett. which are the extremes for correspond
ding qualities. Within five years past, ow-
ing TO its extended appropriation TO pnrpo,
ses of art and luxury, it has increased
twenty per cent in cost, and great econo-
my is requisite to work up the scraps and
clippings to advantage, as its curved form
will not admit ofstraightenlng, without des-
troying the texture, which would be fatal
to its usefulness and beauty. Nothing
however is permitted 10 go 10 waste. The
refuse is carefully calcined, and when
ground upon a marble SLAB, yields jet
black velvety pigment, used by artists to
paint Uncle Toms, broad cloth Goats. ard
other matters requiring particularly JET
hue. Next 10 the Chinese the Germans
excel in ivory carving and ornamental
work. most of the beautifully embelislIed
umbrella and case knobs being made ty
them. These, according to the amount Of
work lavlshed upon them, range IN price
from three to ten dollars each. The most
beautiful piece of art we eve. saw was
marine landscape in aIlo relirrd upon the
lid of a small ivory box, and the connois-
seur who possessed 1t valued il at five hun
dred dollars, but would not dispose OF it at
any price.
The curiously carved ivory balls which
are brought from China, each containing
several balls within them, and apparently
entire, puzzling the senses 10 conjecture
how they could possibly be made are not
really entire but are joined so accurately
as to be imperceptIble even under tn, g lass
of a microscope. Subjected for time,
however, to the action of boiling water,
they separate, and the wonderful ingenui-
ty of the Chinaman is revealed.
Ivory is dyed of various colors by con-
tact with chemicals, though no art has yet
succeeded in lmparting color deeper than
the surface, and thus will eventually wear
off, The quantity imported into Eng land
last year, loots up about 5000 tons, and in.
A. ,,nrt ~ Colap, obout 0S0 mn lhs