Teaching Ivory 101: Building on a Legacy at the Walters Art Museum

AbstractThe Walters Art Museum is a leader in the study, exhibition, and preservation of ivory. This is due to the confluence of several circumstances: a collection that includes over 2000 objects made wholly or in part from ivory and related materials, curatorial decisions to include ivory objects in display, and in‐house conservation expertise leading to new treatments and better understanding of the materials we collectively refer to as ivory. The Walters also plays a major role in ivory education, using its collections recently enhanced by a gift of over 400 non‐accessioned ivory specimens specifically for public access and outreach. This paper describes the museum's history and on‐going activities focused on ivory. It highlights the role of the ivory study collection to create public awareness and to address issues raised by the endangered status of the African elephant, supporting advocacy for both art and animal conservation. Since teaching about ivory at the Walters originated and has been consistently pursued through the Conservation and Technical Research Department, this paper is presented primarily from that perspective and demonstrates how such a program is enhanced by collaboration with staff educators. The article includes object accession numbers for works cited in the text.