Thin ivory disk with a bouquet of flowers in relief on the surface of the ivory. It looks as if the entire piece is a single piece of ivory.
Keywords
aniconism, Islamic, ivory, South Asia, poaching, sewing, embroidery, late 18th century, engraving, bouquet, floral, domestic, femininity
Shelfmark
UA SNED9A
Metadata Creators
Michael Goerlitz, Megan Robb, Munazza Ebtikar
Repository City
Philadelphia
Roles
[owner] Sharaf un-Nisa
Date
late 18th century
Provenance Details
Palmer Family Archives, Devon, England
Language
N/A
Decoration
Small holes lining around the circumference, and the bouquet makes up the center
Layout
unstable_archives_item
Hand Script
N/A
Dimensions
1.5 inches in diameter
Additional Info
Ivory can be produced from the teeth and tusks of any sufficient mammal, but more commonly in the 18th century were harvested from elephants in Africa and Asia. The following link provides an example of an ivory disk featuring a rosette from the Mediterranean region during the Late Bronze Age: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/244092. The material is relatively soft and easy to carve designs into, such as this floral bud pattern. The use of ivory dates back millennia across many cultures, including Islamic and Indian societies. Many artifacts from the Muslim world have been made with ivory, as traders had reliable access to the material from India and Africa. The flower on the disk appears to follow the standard of aniconism, or the lack of depictions of sentient figures on pieces of Islamic or related art, and follows a more abstract depiction resembling a flower. This item could possibly be a thread winder, which is a small, flat object on which thread can be wound. Often these were made of ivory and were necessary when threading at home.