About this Item
Garden City, New York, crown quarto (10.5 by 7.25 inches), xxvi, 527 p., 160 plates (mostly photographs, 4 folding, and 2 maps), and 45 text illustrations. ***Kunz (1856-1932) was an American mineralogist, gemologist, and prolific author. At age 23 he was appointed vice-president at Tiffany & Co., NYC; soon thereafter he began travels throughout America and Europe in search of gemstones. This volume is one of the author's scarcest treatises; heralded by Sinkankas as: "by far the best yet written on the subject. Nowhere is it possible even now to obtain within the covers of a single volume the quantity and variety of factual information on ivory." [1993, p. 588]. Early chapters describe the art of ivory carving, with striking illustrations of objects from prehistory, medieval, and modern times. Later chapters discuss the lore, legends, and depictions of elephants throughout history; elephant hunting and the quest for ivory; sources, composition and qualities of ivory from elephants and other mammals; the working and carving of ivory, with illustrations of tools and equipment; and more. Two chapters are devoted to the geologic history and evolution of mammoths, mastodons and elephants, and the development of tusks. A final section outlines the commerce of ivory, with lists of ivory carvers, including Chinese and Japanese artisans. Matching the well-written and comprehensive text are illustrations of high quality and variety. ***CONDITION: This is a complete, near-Fine copy bound in the original beige cloth, with gilt decoration and pictorial illustrations mounted on the front cover and backstrip. Save for minor chipping to the paper on the front board and spine ends, the covers are very sound, clean and bright. Joints and hinges fully intact, binding very firm. Top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Except for a trace of foxing to the front preliminaries, the text pages are near pristine: fresh, clean and bright, as are the illustrations. The only evidence of previous ownership is the decorative contemporary bookplate of Gilbert W. Withers on the front pastedown. This is a handsome copy of a scarce and informative treatise. Sinkankas, Gemology, 1993: 3702. Nickles 622. Not in BMNH. International shipping will be extra for this volume, but only at my cost. Seller Inventory # OG5436
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