Archaeology — Late Medieval; late 15th century
Animal remains, ivory, ivory waste
Although ivory was greatly prized in England during the medieval period, supplies were limited because Mediterranean trade was dominated by merchants from Venice and Genoa. By the late 1400s, the Portuguese had opened up new trading posts in West Africa so ivory became far more plentiful in London. This African elephant ivory was excavated from a site adjacent to the bulwark built to protect the Tower of London in 1480. The quantity of ivory (roughly equivalent to 12 whole tusks) represents workshop waste for the manufacture of combs and knife handles, and includes transverse pieces, discarded sections of pulp and longitudinal wedge-shaped strips.
- Category:
- Archaeology
- Object ID:
- THW85[43]<122>
- Object name:
- animal remains, ivory, ivory waste
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Late Medieval; late 15th century
- Material:
ivory
- Measurements/duration:
- DM 122 mm, D 89 mm. DM 77 mm, D 140 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Archaeological archive
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.