What is it?
This collection of decorated ivory plaques found in Jerusalem was probably once inlaid in a piece of ornate wooden furniture. The plaques, which are believed to date to the 8th-7th centuries BC, were discovered broken into many fragments, but conservators were able to piece them back together into at least 12 small square fittings measuring c.5cm x 5cm, and at most 0.5cm thick. The plaques are made from elephant tusk and have been intricately carved. Most share the same designs – frames with rosettes surrounding a stylised tree – but there are also several examples decorated with other motifs, including lotus flowers and geometric patterns.
Why does it matter?
Decorated ivories of this kind are relatively unusual, with only a few other examples known, all originating from other important centres of power in this period, such as Nimrud and Samaria. These are the first examples to be found in Jerusalem, and it is thought that they were probably imported, perhaps made by artisans from Assyria and given as a gift to a member of Jerusalem’s nobility.
