|
 There
are many factors that have contributed to the advent
of synthetic materials that have the color and
texture of ivory. At the top of the list is the
removal of elephant ivory from the market. Long
before the ban on elephant ivory, large
manufacturers of pianos and billiard balls found it
impossible to purchase enough ivory to keep up with
the demand for their products. These companies were
the first to drive a search for alternate products.
Artists
also found it increasingly difficult and expensive
to find ivory and looked for other materials for
their creations. Most turned to mammoth ivory, Tagua
nut, bone, and hippo ivory. At the same time, the
need for low-cost souvenirs spawned the wholesale
production of plastic items originally sold to
tourists which have since found their way into
antique shops and online auctions pretending to be
ivory.
|
