Carved Ivory Tusk and Hardwood Stand

This elaborately carved tusk, which was created for export, dates from the 19th century but represents a tradition that goes back many centuries. The exceptionally large elephant tusk includes at least one hundred figures—scholars, musicians, swordsmen, horsemen, mythical characters—horses, groves of pine trees, and architectural elements. The carved hardwood base, with groups of scholars and dignitaries, is probably contemporaneous to the tusk.