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Ivory items tell a story

Natural substitutes for ivory have arisen

Ivory was once thought to be an abundant resource and could be found in various forms within many homes. Carved figurines, piano keys, combs, and billiard balls used to be commonly made of ivory. Today, we seldom see ivory in these types of objects, aside from antiques or museum artifacts. So why was ivory so common, and how did we get to where we are today?
    Most people know that ivory is most commonly taken from elephant tusks, however this is not the only place we can find ivory. In fact, all mammals have ivory in their teeth, known as dentin. Elephants, mammoths, and walruses have tusks; however, these are truly just teeth that grow on the outside of the mouth. Historically, African elephants have been the main source of global ivory, as their tusks are the largest. Additionally, in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, ivory has frequently been taken from the remains of mammoths.
    Unfortunately, the high demand for ivory has caused the population of elephants to decline severely. African and Asian elephants are both considered to be endangered, and illegal hunters called poachers continue to kill these animals to obtain their tusks, selling them on the black market. It is also illegal to obtain whale teeth or walrus tusks as a source of ivory without a special permit.
    Due to the threat to elephants, imitations and natural substitutes for ivory have arisen over time. Celluloid, or French Ivory, was one such substitute used up until the 1950s. Unfortunately, this compound of nitrocellulose and camphor is highly flammable, and can even be explosive under the right conditions. These consequences led to the downfall of celluloid as an ivory substitute. Other substitutes have been used since, including tagua, or vegetable ivory.
Overall, the illegal trade and sale of ivory is still prevalent and a major problem for the world’s elephant population. To see some real ivory in person, stop into the Virden Pioneer Home Museum to look at our piano with real ivory keys.

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