Ivories

The deep, purely aesthetic attraction of ivory, that seems to transcend the commercial value of the raw material, has been part of human heritage since Paleolithic times. The allure of ivory lies in its collective appreciation as a diachronic symbol of excellence, embodying and displaying values, which ultimately define and sustain human hierarchies of esteem. Although the elite status of ivory and ivory carving in general is manifest in both the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age, the sociopolitical infrastructure for the procurement of the raw material and the organization of workshop production was entirely different. In the 2nd millennium, the acquisition and exploitation of ivory was a primarily palatial prerogative, funded and organized by the palatial elites, in accordance with long‐established practices in Egypt and the Near East. The demise of the Mycenaean palaces resulted in the effective elimination of ivory carving in the Aegean. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved