:: GALLERY ::

EXCLUSIVE CHESS DESIGNS

2005-02-10T13:00:00.000+01:00

- " 9th labor of Heracles"

- " Gaul`s campaign of Ceusar"

- " Trojan war"

- " 300 Spartans"

- " Wars of Friedrich the Great"

- " Argonauts

- " Civil War in America"

- " The second Punic War"

- " Lliad" - " The Odyssey"

- " The War of the Roses"

- " Persian campaign of Alexander the Great"

- " Park pleistocene period
( mammoths, woolly rhinoceros, sabre-toothed cats…)"

- " Paleogene period"

- " Park creatceous period (battles of dinosaurs)"

- " Gladiators (new)"

- " Appointment with Gaudi (New)"

- " Reconkista (New)"

- " Augusto Rodin Master Sculpture"

- " Lliad"

- " The Odyssey"

- " Mongolian Chess"

- " Chinees Chess Sets"

- " Love and wine"

- " The Seven Years war"

Etc.

It’s unique not only because it is made of mammoth’s bone (an animal that lived more than 250,00 years ago, and the reserve of the bones of which seems to exist only in Russia), but also due to its cultural and historic trend.

Unique designs of chess collections are born in midpoint between the bone sculpture and Florentine mosaic.

In the “Punic Wars” set, the Hannibal’s “chess army” fights with the Roman legions of Scipion, and the chess desk looks like the map of Mediterranean lands.

Collections are produced in small quantity (not more than ten), quality is strictly controlled.

In every set you can find a certificate of quality with an individual number of a company register and a signature and mark of assay Mr. Anatoly Karpov, who was the only one sixteen time’s chess champion in the world.

Prices vary with the time spent by the master carver, and are crafted only on specific wishes and after a detailed proposal to the ultimate client and take about two - six months to produce.

*****

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
ChessEarthDotInfo

Enquire for large scale pictures
and supplementary designs.

We are pleased to accept your order.

BASIC DESIGNS

2005-01-05T13:00:00.000+01:00

Exclusive hand crafted affordable artsan fossilized mammoth ivory (and wood or stone)
chess desks or figurines of museum quality;
designs in a myriad of genres, from authentic to avant-garde.

- BASIC DESIGNS:

Barleycorn, Staunton, Calvert , Selenus

- SPECIAL DESIGNS:

Roses, Opposition, 21th Century

- EXCLUSIVE DESIGNS:

Unique crafted individual designs

- Various (dated) chess tools & collectables, on rotating vitrine exhibit:
(chess desks, figurines, clocks, post-card, etc. etc.).

Detailed information on our international affordable,
easy and arranged terms of delivery,
please visit the chess gallery vitrine for exclusive crafted designs,
as well as the fosselized Whooly Mammoth and the honorable Netsuke Figurine Sculpture by western master artisan craftsman.

The gallery has got together the best (Netsuke) mammoth carvers of the world,
the specialists in history, designers and sculptors.

The production is absolutely exclusive.
It’s a symbol of prestige and prosperity.

Please note that the prices of the unique hand-carved artisan chess-sets start at appr. Eur 900.

Every set is individual
and wears an imprint of personal particularity of the master and the designer.

Rythmos Creative Advisory

offers a 10 % discount

in case you purchase both the

chess-set as well as the board.

Barleycorn:

- Eur 190 (wood)
- Eur 1,490 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board of wood )
- Eur 1,950 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board white square of mammoth tusk)

Calvert:

- Eur 190 (wood)
- Eur 1,290 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board of wood)
- Eur 1,590 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board white square of mammoth tusk)
- Eur 1,990 (chessmen of pressed amber + board of wood)

Selenus:

- Eur 180 (wood)
- Eur 1,150 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board of wood)
- Eur 1,550 (chessmen of mammoth tusk + board white square of mammoth tusk)

Staunton:

- Eur 150 (wood; folder chess board)
- Eur 200 (wood; and the chess board with cells)

The price of a chess set depends on the size of the chessmen.

The set "Library" with a 2.875" King and a 1.5" diameter base is: Eur 1,950;

The set "Standard" with a 3.5" King and a 1.75" diameter base is: Eur 2,450;

The set "Small Club" with a 4.0" King and a 1.875" diameter base is: Eur 2,950;

The set "Large Club" with a 4.375" King and a 2.0" diameter base is Eur 3,450;

The set "Super Large" with a 4.7" King and a 2.4" diameter base is Eur 3,950;

The set "Huge" with a 5.5" King and a 2.8" diameter base is Eur 4,950;

The price of a desk from wood
and boards from wood for Staunton chessmen Eur 500.

The price of a box from wood
and boards with white squares from a tusk ofthe mammoth
- Eur 950.

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
ChessEarthDotInfo

Enquire for large scale pictures
and supplementary designs.

We are pleased to accept your order.

SPECIAL DESIGNS

2005-01-04T13:00:00.000+01:00

The gallery has got together the best (Netsuke) mammoth carvers of the world, the specialists in history, designers and sculptors.

The production is absolutely exclusive. It’s a symbol of prestige and prosperity.

Please note that the Vendors will be exclusive and limited. The prices of the unique hand-carved artisan chess-sets start at appr. Eur 900.

"The Swan Lake"

"The Opposition set"

"The Flower set"

These sets are made of mammoth tusk. They are only made as a commission in a three months period .

"21 Century Design set"

The price for each of the " 21 Century Design set " ( Mr. Kramnik, Mr. Kasparov and Miss. Xie Jun designs)

The time of producing is one month.

Prices on the sets with the personal signature of the chess players are complementary, the time of producing is 1,5 month.

In "Kasparov" design such pieces as king, queen, bishop and knight have carved elements which put together number 13. Kasparov is a 13 champion, 13 is a date of his birth.

All of three designs could be united by one title Raikis style, finally there will be produced 12 sets of each design, which will be a limited edition with Raikis signs, on a king and knight.

We think that this style, will have worth place both in history of designs and history of chess, because FIDE is negotiating about creating of uniform design-standard for all official chess competiotions.

In the Kramnik design the queen, knight and rook are made in more vanguard manner as a symbol of a new chess generation. The peculiarity of all the designs is that all of them are made of whole pieces of material as if they are made by one movement of a cutter, leaving a fluent line. Besides a cross have been replaced by a symbol of birth and creative origin in a form of an inverted drop.

Oleg Raikis presented Miss Xie Jun with the design " Xie Jun" during the ceremony of the opening of World Chess Cup (FIDE) in Shenyang, China.

While creating the Xie Jun Design I was guided by the universality, balance and simplicity of the Staunton Design. At the same time I was trying to find forms, that would mostly coincide to the modern style in the field of interior design and interior filling things. A very important factor for me was creating of the design, dedicated to the World Champion Xie Jun, as to an outstanding chess player of our time and also because China has enormous achievements and deep roots in the field of plastic art and particularly of fine chess. Not once I was honored to restore old chess sets of Chinese craftsmen, made of elephant ivory, that quote's why, when I was creating a new, modern and functional design, I tried to include some Chinese symbols and plastic forms in it.

Oleg Raikis is a sculptor,

Member of Russian Federation of Artists, International Federation of Art and Chess Collectors International.

Oleg Raikis has been creating chess designs from the year 1990 and has crafted more than 250 chess different chess-sets. Some of the sets were designed as interior art objects and many private clients.

His works are highly prized in the private collections of famous people, politicians, businessmen, including Michael Gorbachev and other celebrities.

In 2000, on the eve of the new millennium Oleg was personally invited by the organizers of the World Chess Cup in China and by the organizers of Kasparov – Kramnik match in London for presentation of his designs.

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
ChessEarthDotInfo

Enquire for large scale pictures
and supplementary designs.

We are pleased to accept your order.

DATED CHESS TOOLS & COLLECTABLES ON STOCK

2005-01-02T13:00:00.000+01:00

AFFORDABLE & ARRANGED ~ TERMS & CONDITIONS ~

2005-01-01T13:10:00.000+01:00

Every order and every individual artisan chess-set
is unique and hand-carved.

Rythmos Creative Advisory collects and guides all written orders made for hand-made Chess sets on behalf of the producer.

The chess-sets will be properly declared with the applical authorities and inport-duties (if any) will be duly settled.

Transportation and inport services will be controlled by a professional international carrage company, prices include transportation, excluding any surcharges (e.g. taxes, if any, warehousing, etc).

Delivery at the door of the (internet mail-order) client after the order is made, is dependend on the specific item one-to-three months (handcarved); Back-order airmail 10-15 days.

Payment due for the full order, incl. surcharges (hand-carved chess-men; chess-boards; chess-desks (on advance or with delivery at door) is made directly to the producent ("The Mammoth Society Ltd" and/or "Chess.Com.Ru"), both resident in Russia and/or the professional international carrage company on behalf of the forementioned producent.

Every order and every individual artisan chess-set is unique and hand-carved.

No fee nor any other reimburcement is due by the (internet mail-order) client for services by Rythmos Creative Advisory.

The prices mentioned are including shipping to door (internet mail-order) client and all additional charges (e.g. taxes, if any, warehousing, etc) are based on a proposal per (internet mailorder) client and will be charged in addition.

"The Mammoth Society Ltd." as well as "Chess.Com.Ru" will provide clear and detailed descriptions as well as commercial (format) pictures of the chess items on request of the (internet mail-order) client for the exclusive market.

Rythmos Creative Advisory; sale & commission of affordable (new and dated) hand-crafted Fossilized Mammoth Ivory chess-desks from Eur. 990 to museum quality Netsuke Carving.

Rythmos Creative Advisory also provides restorations and repairs
of dated boardgames by renowed international Netsuke artists,
with current reportaire.

Please also enquire for (new and dated) literature, visual art, design postcards, etc. etc.

Advertise your dated chess-desk in the ChessEarthDotInfo Gallery, or propose any other dated trade arrangement.

Other and/or revised Terms & Conditions will be confirmed only in writting, these Terms & Conditions are ruled by Dutch law.

Rythmos Creative Advisory offers a

10 % discount in case you purchase

both the chess-set as well as the board.

Finally, any question and/or suggested amendment will be taken in consideration.

We trust this information is sufficient for your purposes. In case you require any further explanation to the above, please do not hesitate to contact us. style="color:#993300;">

Easy currency conversion

Mammoth Soceity Ltd.

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
ChessEarthDotInfo
Enquire for large scale pictures
and supplementary designs.

We are pleased to accept your order.

CHESS ARTIFACT MUSEUM

2005-01-01T13:05:00.000+01:00

PLEISTOCENE FOSSILS and forum

2005-01-01T13:03:00.000+01:00

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth, common name for several extinct species of the elephant family. Fossilized Whooly Mammoth had long, curved tusks that reached a length of about 3 m (about 10.5 ft), and a prominent hump on the back. Those that lived in cold climates had a shaggy covering of long, thick hair.

These animals moved northward as the glaciers of the Ice Age receded. The first Fossilized Woolly Mammoths appeared in Africa during the early Pliocene Epoch, about 5 million years ago. The first North American Fossilized Woolly Mammoths migrated across the Bering Strait from Asia into Alaska during a period of low sea level about 2 million years ago. By the Beginning of the Pleistocene Epoch, about 1.6 million years ago, mammoths inhabited North America, Europe, and Asia. Scientists believe that most Fossilized Woolly Mammoths had died out toward the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, about 11,000 years ago, although scientists have found the remains of dwarf Fossilized Woolly Mammoths that survived until around 3,700 years ago on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean.

The largest Fossilized Woolly Mammoths, such as the steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii), lived in Eurasian wooded and meadowlike habitats. Adult males stood about 5 m (about 16 ft) high at the shoulders, weighed up to 18 metric tons, and had tusks up to 5 m (16 ft) long.

The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), characterized by a thick hairy coat that helped it to adapt to its cold tundra environment, was plentiful in northern regions during the late Pleistocene Epoch.

The woolly mammoth was about the size of the modern Asian elephant, about 3 m (10 ft) tall at the shoulders. The smallest known Fossilized Whooly Mammothh (Mammuthus lamarmorae) was less than 1.5 m (5 ft) tall and lived on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia during the late Pleistocene Epoch. The first complete specimen of a frozen Fossilized Whooly Mammoth was unearthed near the Lena River in Siberia in 1806 by Russian botanist Mikhail Adams.
Since then a number of mammoth specimens have been discovered in Siberia, Europe, and North America, including one of the largest species identified to date, the American Fossilized Whooly Mammoth (Mammuthus imperator), which reached a height of 4.3 m (14 ft).

Scientists first extracted the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from mammoth remains in 1978. In the early 1980s scientists studying blood samples from Fossilized Whooly Mammoth remains found that mammoth blood is more similar to Asian elephants’ than to African elephants’. In 1999 scientists working in Siberia recovered the complete remains of a Fossilized Whooly Mammoth embedded in frozen mud containing plants and insects that lived 20,000 years ago. Using a helicopter, the scientists transported the specimen to an ice cave about 300 km (200 mi) away.

Scientists plan to slowly thaw their find and perform tests on the remains to identify the reason the animal died. They also plan to study the plants and insects found in the frozen mud encasing the carcass to learn more about the environment the animal lived in.

The Fossilized Woolly Mammoth (mammuthus primigenius) ranged throughout North America, Asia and Europe between 12,000 and 40,000 years ago.

It had several cousins, many of whom, including the smaller mastodon (see below for comparison), are now extinct. Present day elephants and the aquatic manatee are also relations. No one knows for sure why the mammoth died out, but experts suspect it was a combination of climactic change, which reduced the feeding range, and hunting pressure by our early ancestors.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth tusks were large teeth, made of ivory (dentin), with a protective layer of cementum. They were used for defense, dominance, mating rituals, and may have served as snowplows, clearing the ground for winter-feeding.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ivory is distinguishable from other ivory by its characteristically unique, oblique crosshatched pattern, evident when polished. In cross section, the tusk has three layers: bark (cementum), body and core (dentin).

The bark is thin and darkly coloured. It can be polished and is occasionally used in jewelry. The body is the primary material used for carving.

It is uniform and thick, enabling high relief or sculpture in the round. It can hold incredible detail and take a high polish. The core, made of new growth ivory, is of inconsistent quality.

Neanderthal hands created the oldest known sculpture made from mammoth ivory 100,000 years ago. Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ivory has continued in use as a carving medium, long after the extinction of the Fossilized Woolly Mammoth, up to the present.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth or Mastadon? Mastodons appeared some 20-30 million years go in what is now Egypt. Fossilized Whooly Mammoth did not show up in Africa until 3-4 million years ago.

Fossilized Whooly Mammoth teeth are big and blocky for grinding grass; mastodon teeth are more pointy suited for chomping softer swamp, wetlands plants.

A Fossilized Woolly Mammoth's trunk had two projections, one in front and one in back, probably to help it grasp food. No mastodon trunks have been found.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth have distinctly sloping backs making shoulders higher than rear quarters, like modern Asian elephants; mastodons have straight backs. Mastodons generally had 20 pairs of ribs, the same as African elephants.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoths had 19 pairs of ribs, the same as modern Asian elephants.

A Fossilized Woolly Mammoth's skull is broader and less exaggerated in shape with a single dome, similar to that of an African elephant. Mastodon hides are generally described as brownish-grey; Fossilized Woolly Mammoth skin specimens have been found with black, brown, reddish-brown and yellow hair.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth tusks as long as 3.5 metres have been found in Siberia. That is longer than the modern African elephant and more than twice the tusk size of an Asian elephant. Mastodon tusks were roughly the same size as an African elephant's.Mastodons were shorter. The tallest ever found was about three metres high at the shoulders.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoths typically ranged from 2.7 to 3.3 metres in height, although some four-metre tall specimens have been found, comparable to African elephants.

A dwarf species of Fossilized Woolly Mammoth managed to survive the Ice Age on Wrangel Island off the coast of Siberia, dying out about the time the Egyptians were building the pyramids. Mastodons became extinct 9,000 years ago, about the same time as most other mammoth species.

Fossilized Woolly Mammoths and mastodons largest known mammals to live in NA.Other Facts about the Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ranged from Ireland to eastern North America.Its ears were much smaller than the elephant's, likely to save heat.

A nomadic group of humans, known as the Clovis, hunted the mammoth in Siberia and the Americas. One theory says they were a factor in the Fossilized Woolly Mammoth's exinction.

The oldest Fossilized Woolly Mammoth found to date lived 250,000 years ago.

An adult Fossilized Woolly Mammoth weighed about 10 tons and stood at the shoulder at least twice the height of a human.

Gestation period for the Fossilized Woolly Mammoth is estimated to be 22 months. Fossilized Whooly Mammoth lived to be about 60 years.Arctic peoples believed that mammoths were a kind of subterranean mole that lived until exposed to light.

The Gwitchin peoples of Old Crow have a story about a creature that burst from the bank of the Porqupine River, close to the present day community, and wandered up river and died.
Palentologists, after hearing the story, found the remains of a Fossilized Woolly Mammoth where the creature was said to have died.
So much Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ivory was left behind in northern Asia that a trade in fossilized mammoth tusks, dating back to the Middle Ages, continues in Russia today.

MAMMOTH IVORY

Fossil Ivory Carved Prehistoric Fossil
Woolly Mammoth Ivory

Among the treasures hidden for thousands of years in the remote Arctic tundra of Alaska, Canada and Siberia are the massive ivory tusks of the Fossilized Whooly Mammoth, ruler of the prehistoric savanna.

Larger than today's Indian elephant, their tusks could weigh up to 300 pounds each and measure over 16 feet in length.

These great beasts ultimately succumbed to the drastic climate changes accompanying great ice ages. The skeletons and tusks were naturally interred for aeons in the frozen earth.

Rythmos Creative Advisory now brings
this hidden treasure to you as a beautiful gem.

These massive tusks are unearthed many ways. Modern day gold miners dredge up mineralized remains in the course of placer mining activities. We unearth fossil ivory during road construction. Bush pilots spot the huge tusks jutting from ever eroding river banks while flying over the tundra.

Wilderness explorers find the tusks in the melting muskeg. Regardless of the happy surprise of discovery, all of our ivory is mined in accordance with all applicable regulations.

The beautiful hues of tan, brown and blue are a result of thousands of years of mineralization.

Exact hues depend upon the mineral deposits in the immediate soil surrounding the fallen Fossilized Whooly Mammoth. Thus, when processing, each tusk reveals a unique character, never duplicated in another piece of fossil tusks.

International trade in elephant ivory has been largely shut down due to concern for the preservation of a living species.

Much to the delight of fine jewelry collectors, Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ivory has emerged as an eco-friendly and increasingly valuable alternative.

While still scarce and difficult to work with, this lustrous natural ivory possesses the same gem qualities of new ivory, without the stigma attached to illegal harvesting of endangered elephants.

Rythmos Creative Advisory searches out these prized fossils to transform the ancient ivory into lustrous jewelry that reflect the hues of the Arctic landscape.

Our skilled european craftsmen of The Mammoth Soceity Ltd. (Netsuke Process), an internationally recognized center for ivory carving, carefully work with the fragile tusks.

Each item is painstakingly designed, carved, polished and finished to enhance the unique color of our Arctic Ivory.

As with all fine gem quality ivory, the luster is enhanced with frequent exposure to one's natural skin oils, developing a rich patina over time.

Fossilized Whooly Mammoth Ivory is one of those tricky handle materials. Use sharp belts, do not let it overheat or even get slightly hot during any operation.

- It cracks. Use sharp drill bits.

- If it overheats during drilling, your pin will have a nice brown ring around it.

- If it overheats during buffing you will get a myriad surface cracks.

- It dries out after you completed the knife and cracks while lying in your customer's safe.

- It cracks while lying in your store-room.

- Coat any piece of ivory you acquire with baby oil or coconut oil.

- Do the same with your ivory stock at least three time a year, and tell your customers who buys ivory handled knives to do the same.

- I do not know how this oil treatment affects scrimshaw.

Will find out and give the info here. Apparently this depends on the type of ink or paint used by the scrimshander. If the used waterproof inks, oil will not have an effect on the design.

Elephant

Not for import, export or having to much of without a permit.

Because of cites who have not seen the damage elephants cause to the veld.

Ivory is divided into two classes:

A) bark
B) center.

Bark ivory has a fine crosshatch pattern when viewed from the end. It is the outer layer or bark of the tusk.

Center ivory is pure white and featureless.

This is the one to use if hard material.

Hippo

Two types of teeth: Straight incisors that are quite nice to work with, and curved incisors that have an outer coating made of glass or diamonds Whatever it is, it is extremely hard.

It actually makes sparks on the grinder! It is very rare to find a hippo tusk without severe cracks.

Warthog

This African Beauty carries four incisors.

The top two are curved upwards and may be up to 14" in length, the bottom two are useless from a knifemaking point of view but quite critical if you are being chased by a warthog as they have a razor sharp knife edge.

Like horns, the tusks of the warthog are symmetrical.

Use as a pair. To illustrate: Place the two tusks on the table as they would fit the hog.

The front half of each tusk is used on one knife, the back half is used on another knife. By half I mean that the tusk should be split along the length.

This way the color and pattern on both slabs are closely matched.

The moment you acquire a pair of warthog tusks you must mark them as a pair. Then fill the nerve hole with baby or coconut oil, and paint the rest of the tusk with the same oil. This is to prevent it cracking as it dries out.

It is a good idea to coat your whole ivory stock at least three times a year with baby oil.

The beautiful hues of tan, brown and blue are a result of thousands of years of mineralization. Exact hues depend upon the mineral deposits in the immediate soil surrounding the fallen Fossilized Whooly Mammoth.

Thus, when processing, each tusk reveals a unique character, never duplicated in another piece of fossil tusks.International trade in elephant ivory has been largely shut down due to concern for the preservation of a living species.

Much to the delight of fine jewelry collectors, fossil mammoth ivory has emerged as an eco-friendly and increasingly valuable alternative.

While still scarce and difficult to work with, this lustrous natural ivory possesses the same gem qualities.

Rythmos Creative Advisory searches out these prized fossils to transform the ancient ivory into lustrous jewelry that reflect the hues of the Arctic landscape.

Our skilled craftsmen in Russia (Netsuke process), an internationally recognized center for ivory carving, carefully work with the fragile tusks.

Each item is painstakingly designed, carved, polished and finished to enhance the unique color of our Arctic Ivory.

As with all fine gem quality ivory, the luster is enhanced with frequent exposure to one's natural skin oils, developing a rich patina over time.

*****

Prices Fossilized mammoth ivory
(Incl. insured door to door Air-mail, excl. surcharges if any).

(Rythmos Creative Advisory commissions exclusively to the Mammoth Society Ltd.)

Consignments may differ in price.

However, usually the range of the prices is as follows:

I Grade - $120-$100/kg.
II Grade - $90-$80/kg.
III Grade - $70-$60/kg.
IV grade - $40-$30/kg.
V Grade - $30/kg

In particular cases (special delivery)
the price for Fossilized Woolly Mammoth ivory may differ.

The price for non-cut Fossilized Woolly Mammoth tusks:

I Grade - $180/kg.
II Grade - $140/kg.
III Grade - $110/kg.
IV Grade - $110/kg.
V Grade - $100/kg.

* High-grade ivory
Must be reserved.

* Museum tusks
Our complete mammoth tusks are fascinating conversation pieces as well as fine collectibles. These are the remains of life from the Ice Age. We have small tusks that can be displayed on a writing-table as well huge 2,5 meter tusks that require much exhibition room.

* Bark ivory
Bark is the outside of the tusk that has absorbed minerals from the earth where it was buried. Blue Bark is highly prized by knifemakers and scrimshanders for its colorations.

* Low-grade ivory
Low-grade ivory has many cracks and is used for jewelry and other small items.

* Mammoth teeth
All our Mammoth Teeth come from the permafrost of Yakutsk region. Preserved in the frozen earth, they have a better condition than of those from the North Sea.

* Mammoth bones
Mammoth bones which are incompete or damaged, is a relatively inexpensive material for carving.

* Complete (museum) Skeletons
Woolly Mammoth, Woolly Rhinoceros, Steppe Bison, Cave lion (Penthera Leo Atrox), Cave Bear, and other pleistocene fossils are available for immediate purchase.

Import Regulations

A frequently encountered misconception is that all ivory is "illegal" indicated by that oft heard phrase "I thought ivory was illegal". NOT!

The following is a summary of the international Fish & Wildlife laws which regulate the commerce of ivory: The international trade in wildlife and plants is regulated by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (C.I.T.E.S.) [a multinational protege of the United Nations]. Formed in 1973, the aim is to establish worldwide controls over plants & wildlife that require protecting due to declining populations.
Headquartered in Switzerland, C.I.T.E.S., delegates meet every two years to review data & set new quotas to increase, decrease or maintain the level of protection on individual species. C.I.T.E.S. regulations do not control a country's internal commerce, only the international trade between member nations.

International Shipments

Europe:
No permit required for Fossilized Woolly Mammoth, Rythmos Creative Advisory will arrange declaration-formalities on behalf of the producer.

United States of America
All orders of oosik, walrus, fossil walrus, hippo or warthog ivory that are to be shipped out of the U. S. require a re-export permit which costs $30 per shipment and takes 30-45 days to acquire (considerably less time than they used to).

Elephant ivory is not exportable (except dated before the ban).

Fossilized Whooly Mammoth and mastodon ivories do not require a permit.

Unfortunately we do not have the space to review individual country wildlife laws. Each country has a Department of Fish & Wildlife or Game Department located your country. We recommend that you check with your country game officials before buying wildlife products for resale (private ownership is not restricted).

Mammoth or Mastodon Different animals, different looking tusks, the cut ivory can look nearly the same. Commerce in this 10,000-40,000 year old ivory is completely unrestricted.

A great deal of this ivory in cut form looks practically identical to elephant ivory (except for the outer layer where all the color and weathering is).

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory has discovered a reliable indicator for differentiating between prehistoric mammoth and modern elephant ivory.

Color is no indication; it is the angle that the cross grain lines bisect themselves. Angles of less than 90% indicate that it's mammoth/mastodon, angles greater than 120% show that it's elephant.

The Fossilized Woolly Rhino

Rythmos Creative Advisory

commissions exclusively to The Mammoth Society Ltd !!

*****

Forum for specialized
theme's in reference to
The Fossilized Woolly Mammoth,

We refer to the - Contact page- for an
overview of all three active open and moderated forums

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
ChessEarthDotInfo

Enquire for large scale pictures
and supplementary designs.

We are pleased to accept your order.

NETSUKE SCULPTURE and forum

2005-01-01T13:02:00.000+01:00

Attribute of japanese national suit.

Netsuke were used as clasps on kimono.

(pronounced "netskeh" and literally meaning "root for fastening") made their debut in late 17th-century Japan and on the traditional kimono, netsuke became artistic sculpture as their popularity increased.

In Japan strict rules of dress forbade ostentatious displays of wealth.

Netsuke were not subject to these laws because they were not technically clothing; nor were they subject to restrictions placed on art, where representations of religious matter were forbidden. As a result, no subject or material was off limits to netsuke artisans: Flowers, animals, and characters from No or Kabuki theater, religion, or mythology were carved from ivory, bone, wood, clay, lacquer, and precious metals.

While many netsuke remained plain and purely functional, wealthier Japanese displayed netsuke that were wearable art.

Thus, social status could be revealed through netsuke in ways it could not through dress. For a form of sculpture usually no more than three inches tall, netsuke played a sizable role in Japanese culture: functional, social, and aesthetic.

Gradually, gathering netsuke change in hobby in Japan not only, but also on the whole world.

Netsuke date back to the 17th Century, and became extremely popular in Europe towards the end of the 19th Century. This coincided with the Japanese adopting the suit and its pockets and with oriental artefacts being very much in vogue with buyers in western Europe. A huge supply of redundant netsuke came into Europe and were sold in many places as novelty items very cheaply. For the collector today there are many styles, and types, some by well known designers and the range in price can be incredible: from a few $/£ to £140,000 paid for a netsuke horse carved by Tomotada.

Netsuke served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The tradtional Japanese dress, the kimono had no pockets. The robes were hung together by a broad sash (obi), so items that were needed to be carried were held on a cord tucked under the sash. The hanging objects (sagemono) were secured with carved toggles (netsuke). A sliding bead (ojime) was strung on the cord between the netsuke and the sagemono to tighten or loosen the opening of the sagemono.The best known accessory was the inro, a small box used by the wealthy for carrying medicines and seals. Netsuke were also used to secure purses, and were widely used to hold the tobacco pouches that became almost universal with the introduction of smoking in Japan.

The quality of Netsuke was variable. As everyday objects many were carved quickly with left over materials. Netsuke could be made using a variety of materials mainly wood, and ivory (also shell, bone, horn, even metal and precious stones). Wealthier people would have finer netsuke, and it could be possible to tell the status of an individual by the quality of their netsuke. The workmanship is some is outstanding and despite their small size 1 to 2 inches, there can be considerable detail.

There are several types of netsuke including: manju, round or square button like boxes; and kagamibuta, comprising a metal lid and a bowl; and katabori. The range of subjects included all manner of animals, birds, the heores and villains from folklore, the immortals and mythical animals of Japanese legend, the grotesque and the amusing. The variety and variability of netsuke is a reason for their continued popularity today. Knowledgeable collectors look for compactness, a design that appears good from any angle, and the cord holes must not interfere with the piece and may often form part of it.

Anatomy of a Netsuke

Japan during the 17th century was a world without pockets. To carry medicines, tobacco, seals, and other small personal affects required one to hang them from their obi, or sash. From this need sprung various sets or kits, such as the tobacco pouch, the inro, and the yatate (writing set). The inro was a layered box with two to seven tiers that could contain various small objects. The inro was held together by braided silk cords, which ran vertically through the many layers. Keeping these braided cords together was an ojime, or bead, which finally ended in a toggle piece called a netsuke. The netsuke was tucked under the obi and helped to suspend the inro below. Through human nature, these elements began to serve as more than just their utilitarian use. They became expressions of the artist who created them and the individual taste of the wearer.

Although the Japanese did not have jewelry in the Western sense of the word, they most certainly knew about craftsmanship, artistry, decoration and adornment. These small sets of accessories became highly refined and reflected great sophistication. Inro were usually made of wood coated in lacquer, decorated with gold and silver inlays. Ojime and netsuke were crafted out of wood, ivory, ceramic or metal. A true inro suite would consist of an inro, ojime, and netsuke sharing a unified theme.

Just as women today covet their Prada bags and Manolo Blahnik shoes, inro suites were prized for their artistry and elegance. Rarely do we find the inro suites intact with their matching components. In the world of Japanese art, there are collectors who are drawn to the exquisite beauty of the inro boxes, which often demonstrate the most sophisticated lacquer work to be found. Bead enthusiasts marvel at the intricacy and refinement of the tiny ojime beads. Netsuke themselves are collected for their sculptural nature and ingenious miniature designs. Function provided the stage upon which Japanese artists could perform their magic.

As an artwork, netsuke are unique to Japan where, from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, they were worn as a part of the traditional Japanese clothing, the kimono. Because kimono have no pockets, small objects were carried in boxes, called sagemono (literally, "hanging object"). Sagemono took many forms: inro were lacquered cases for cosmetics, medicines, or seals, kinchaku were money cases, and tabako-ire were tobacco cases. The sagemono were suspended from a cord passed behind the obi, the sash holding the kimono closed. The netsuke served as the counterweight, attached to the other end of the cord, thereby preventing the sagemono from falling through the obi. . Lacquer art ( involving the sprinkling of gold and silver powder onto the surface) was extremely difficult; one inro could take years to be completed.

Netsuke figurines

Besides animals, the supernatural served as a popular source of inspiration in netsuke art. Traditionally, the Japanese loved ghost stories. Their mythologies and legends are filled with tales of ghosts and spirits. Ghosts are often depicted with long hair, flowing clothes, beckoning hands, and bodies trailing away in mists.

Along with ghosts, goblins, and other nasties, the Japanese mythos is also filled with supernatural creatures and gods who had greater or lesser powers for good or evil.

Netsuke were carved from all sorts of material, including ivory, sea shells, rock and wood. In the nineteenth century, from a piece of stag antler.

In form, there are five main types of netsuke, each measuring approximately one inch tall by one inch wide by one inch deep: manju, ryusa, kagamibuta, sashi, and katabori. Manju, ryusa, and kagamibuta are flattened sphere shapes. As you may have guessed, the manju netsuke is named after the Japanese confection that it resembles. The ryusa netsuke is similar in shape, but is hollow inside, and the design on either side is carved through to the center. Kagamibuta is more like a flattened round pumpkin, where the body is made of ivory and the lid is made of metal. With kagamibuta, the metal lid is usually incised with a design or inlaid with gold or silver to create a design in relief.

Katabori netsuke are carved completely in three dimensions, the carving detailing each part of the figure or subject. These are particularly collectible because of their detail and sculptural quality. Sashi netsuke are easy to identify by their elongated form. They are carved on all sides like the katabori, but are thin and almost seem to be stretched out. These basic shapes lent themselves to the function of netsuke as well as the materials available.

Remember, since they functioned liked oversized buttons, they had to follow at least a few practical rules. They had to have a means of attaching the braided silk cord (usually easily identifiable as two holes in the netsuke), and a compact and unobtrusive shape, which would allow a user to wear it easily without breaking it.

Collecting Netsuke

A good rule of thumb for any collection is to create one that you will enjoy. I have always delighted in seeing netsuke which show a special sensitivity to the natural material. Many netsuke-shi will take the natural variation of color or shape in the material to subtly enhance the carving itself.

There are others who are drawn to particular legends or the beauty of a specific substance, like ivory. On aspects of authenticity, it is generally agreed that netsuke created during the time that they were actually used (pre-1920s), are termed "real". Works created after this date were usually meant as tourist curios for export. There are a few noted master craftsmen who carried on the tradition during this time period and whose netsuke are considered to be of equal caliber to the antiques.

From the early 1980s until the present, there has been a flux of reproduction netsuke coming out of Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. These netsuke are most commonly identifiable by observing the inferior level of carving. They are quickly made with little finesse, but many "tricks" to make one believe there is great detail.

Another clue to its authenticity is its practicality. If the netsuke has protuberances that would make it an unwieldy item to wear, it's unlikely that it was truly intended for its function.

Netsuke by contemporary artists, however, is deeply rooted in traditional forms and often display a level of technical craftsmanship rarely seen.

M. Veneman
Rythmos Creative Advisory
The Netherlands
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