Editing Ivory (section)

{{short description|Material derived from the tusks and teeth of animals}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:Horn Louvre OA4069.jpg|thumb|11th-century Italian carved [[elephant]] tusk, [[Louvre]].]]
[[File:Cylindrical Ivory Casket.jpg|thumb|Cylindrical ivory casket, Siculo-Arabic, [[Hunt Museum]].]]

'''Ivory''' is a hard, white material from the [[tusk]]s (traditionally from [[elephant]]s) and [[Tooth|teeth]] of animals, that consists mainly of [[dentine]], one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of [[mammal]]s is the same, regardless of the species of origin, but ivory contains structures of mineralised [[collagen]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Albéric |first1=M. |last2=Gourrier |first2=A. |last3=Wagermaier |first3=W. |last4=Fratzl |first4=P. |last5=Reiche |first5=I. |date=2018 |title=The three-dimensional arrangement of the mineralized collagen fibers in elephant ivory and its relation to mechanical and optical properties |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1742706118300862 |journal=Acta Biomaterialia |language=en |volume=72 |pages=342–351 |doi=10.1016/j.actbio.2018.02.016|pmid=29477454 |s2cid=4701276 }}</ref> The trade in certain teeth and tusks other than elephant is well established and widespread; therefore, "ivory" can correctly be used to describe any mammalian teeth or tusks of commercial interest which are large enough to be carved or [[scrimshaw]]ed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/resources/pub/E-Ivory-guide.pdf|title=Identification Guide for Ivory and Ivory Substitutes|publisher=Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)|access-date=30 April 2013}}</ref>

Besides natural ivory, ivory can also be produced synthetically,<ref name="mdpi.com">[https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/23/6538/pdf Bio-Inspired Synthetic Ivory as a Sustainable Material]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=American Chemical Society |date=2018-01-24 |title=Lab-grown horns and tusks could stop poaching—or not |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-01-lab-grown-horns-tusks-poachingor.html |access-date= |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | arxiv=1912.06481 | doi=10.3390/su11236538 | doi-access=free | title=Bio-Inspired Synthetic Ivory as a Sustainable Material for Piano Keys | year=2019 | last1=Fischer | first1=Dieter | last2=Parks | first2=Sarah | last3=Mannhart | first3=Jochen | journal=Sustainability | volume=11 | issue=23 | page=6538 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mushegian |first=Sasha |date=2017-05-10 |title=Appalled by the Illegal Trade in Elephant Ivory, a Biologist Decided to Make His Own |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/faking-elephant-ivory-180963226/ |access-date= |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1038/507040a | title=Synthetic ivory fails to stop illegal trade | year=2014 | last1=Zhou | first1=Zhao-Min | journal=Nature | volume=507 | issue=7490 | page=40 | pmid=24598629 | s2cid=12301652 | doi-access=free }}</ref> hence (unlike natural ivory) not requiring the retrieval of the material from animals. [[Tagua]] nuts can also be carved like ivory.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Franette |date=2014-07-30 |title=The Truth About Tusks |url=https://www.thedodo.com/the-truth-about-tusks-648225506.html |access-date= |website=The Dodo |language=en}}</ref>

The trade of [[finished goods]] of ivory products has its origins in the [[Indus Valley]]. Ivory is a main product that is seen in abundance and was used for trading in [[Harappan civilization]]. Finished ivory products that were seen in [[Harappa]]n sites include kohl sticks, [[pin]]s, awls, [[hook]]s, toggles, [[comb]]s, game pieces, [[dice]], inlay and other personal ornaments.

Ivory has been valued since ancient times in art or manufacturing for making a range of items from [[ivory carving]]s to [[false teeth]], [[piano keys]], [[Hand fan|fan]]s, and [[domino]]es.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6875436|title=George Washington's false teeth not wooden|agency=Associated Press|access-date=2022-03-14}}</ref> Elephant ivory is the most important source, but ivory from [[mammoth]], [[walrus]], [[hippopotamus]], [[sperm whale]], [[orca]], [[narwhal]] and [[warthog]] are used as well.<ref name=Espinoza1991>{{cite book|author1=Espinoza, E. O.|author2=M. J. Mann|year=1991|title=Identification guide for ivory and ivory substitutes|location=Baltimore|publisher=World Wildlife Fund and Conservation Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/lab/ivory_natural.php|title=Ivory Identification Guide – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory|author=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Lab|work=fws.gov|access-date=2017-11-03|archive-date=2017-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623172133/https://www.fws.gov/lab/ivory_natural.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Elk]] also have two ivory teeth, which are believed to be the remnants of tusks from their ancestors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://coloradoelkbreeders.com/?page_id=41|title=Elk Facts|work=Colorado Elk Breeders|access-date=2017-11-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929102054/http://coloradoelkbreeders.com/?page_id=41|archive-date=2015-09-29}}</ref>

The national and international [[Wildlife trade|trade]] in natural ivory of [[threatened]] species such as [[African elephant|African]] and [[Asian elephant]]s is illegal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Rina Rani |last2=Goyal |first2=Surendra Prakash |last3=Khanna |first3=Param Pal |last4=Mukherjee |first4=Pulok Kumar |last5=Sukumar |first5=Raman |date=2006 |title=Using morphometric and analytical techniques to characterize elephant ivory |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0379073806003781 |journal=Forensic Science International |language=en |volume=162 |issue=1–3 |pages=144–151 |doi=10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.06.028|pmid=16891073 }}</ref> The word ''ivory'' ultimately derives from the [[Egyptian language|ancient Egyptian]] {{lang|egy-Latn|[[wikt:ꜣbw#Noun 3|âb, âbu]]}} ('elephant'), through the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|ebor-}} or {{lang|la|[[wikt:ebur#Latin|ebur]]}}.<ref>''The New Shorter [[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (Oxford 1993), entry for "ivory."</ref>