Ivory and bone sculpture in ancient Alexandria

In this second volume in the new series entitled Antiquités Alexandrines, Elzbieta Rodziewicz presents an overview of Alexandrian bone and ivory work by drawing upon her incomparable knowledge of the material that has been unearthed from the excavations of the Polish mission at Kom el-Dikka, as well as the salvage digs of the Centre d'Études Alexandrines in the Brucheion district, the western necropolis and the chora of the city. After examining the vestiges found within the workshops around Street R4 and neighbourhood, she explores the sources of supply--Indian and African elephants, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and other mammals. She reconstitutes the manufacturing techniques and describes the various uses of the material, elements of furniture and boxes, jewellery, tools, games, dolls etc., the styles, the traditions and the sometimes sudden changes.