“Fish Teeth”

Christina here. You’re probably wondering about the odd title of this blog and why I would want to talk about such a strange subject. Actually, what I’m referring to is walrus ivory. The Vikings called walruses rosmhval (singular)/rosmhvalir (plural), which meant “horse whale”. This was later turned around to become “whale-horse”, ie walrus. And they called their tusks “fish teeth”. I guess they considered walruses a type of whale and therefore a fish. Weird, I know!

These days using or dealing in any type of ivory can be abhorrent to us, depending on how it’s obtained, but to the Vikings and their contemporaries it was a very valuable natural resource. Walruses could be found in northern Norway and on Iceland, and the Norwegian Vikings also obtained ivory from people even further north along what is now the Russian coastline. They called this country Bjarmeland. One Viking king even married a princess of a tribe from that area, the Sikhirtya, who were experts in catching marine mammals. This marriage gave him exclusive access to their trade goods, including the valuable walrus ivory, although it was said that he later came to love his wife very much so the relationship wasn’t merely for personal gain or greed in the end.

The Vikings used walrus ivory as trade goods and it was sought after all over Europe. In 890 AD a Viking chief and trader by the name of Othere (Ottar) visited the court of King Alfred and told him about his homeland, thought to have been in present-day Lofoten Islands in northern Norway. He mentioned how important walruses were to them, not just for their “teeth” but their skin/hide which was used to make ropes and the blubber for lamp oil. He gave the Anglo-Saxon king some ivory as a gift and it was probably much appreciated.

Walrus ivory really are actually teeth, not tusks, and are two of their upper canines. According to Wikipedia they grow throughout the animal’s life, both in the males and females. In some they can become up to a metre (over 30 inches) long. They can be used to help haul themselves out of the sea onto an ice floe or a beach, and sometimes for fighting and protection.

Lots of items were made out of the ivory – beads, amulets, artwork and gaming pieces like the Lewis chessmen. It is fairly easy to carve. Pieces of ivory could also be carved and put together to form items like the magnificent casket in the photo above (now in the Historical Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark). The ivory tusks weren’t large/wide enough to make linen smoothing boards (see next photo) so those had to be created out of whale-bone instead, but the carving technique is similar.

Alaskan native tribes are still allowed to harvest walrus for subsistence purposes and can sell the ivory to others as long as it’s reported to a specific agency and made into some kind of handicraft item. They have to use the rest of the animal as well though, the meat and blubber, not just the teeth. Only Alaskan native artists are allowed to carve the ivory.

Ivory can of course be tusks from other animals too, not just walruses – the most common being African and Asian elephants, but also hippopotamus, narwhal, rhinos and even mammoths. (Lots of old mammoth tusks have been found in places like Siberia). It is illegal to trade in this in most places. Ivory used to be used for all sorts of things like piano keys, but these days thankfully there are synthetic alternatives.

In the UK the buying and selling of all available forms of ivory is forbidden with a few exemptions, and international trade in elephant ivory is banned world-wide. Both Asian and African elephants are endangered species. The ban has unfortunately resulted in a lot of poaching, with lots of animals killed illegally just for their tusks, which is horrible! So who is buying it and why is it worth it to the criminals? The demand seems to be greatest in east and southeast Asia where countries like Japan and China have traditionally valued ivory for decorative items.

In Japan ivory was often used for something called netsuke. These are miniature sculptures used as a fastener/counter-weight on the cords of an inro box. Traditional Japanese clothes did not have pockets, so some sort of container was needed for things like money and tobacco. These were hung from the robes’ sashes by cords. They could be pouches or baskets, but the most sought-after were the little boxes called inro, most commonly made of lacquered wood.

When I lived in Japan with my family, my parents became fascinated by netsuke. The sale and trade of antique ones is allowed as they were created before the ivory ban, and they purchased quite a few. Some of them are unbelievably intricate and expertly carved. They are very popular with Western collectors as well as the Japanese themselves. Antique ones can be very expensive and are much sought after.

Although ivory is the preferred material, netsuke can also be made out of wood, metal and porcelain. The little carved objects can portray almost anything – from people and animals, to gods, fruits, plants and abstract patterns. I find the smallest ones the most interesting as the skill needed to create something like that is awe-inspiring, but each piece is unique and beautiful in their own way. Here is a selection:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I look at the Lewis chessmen – also lovingly crafted – I often wonder what the Vikings would have made of a Japanese netsuke – I bet they would have loved them!

Many of our museums have ivory carvings of various kinds. Although these objects are undeniably intriguing and stunning, I am glad the ivory trade is being regulated these days. What are your views on this?