2-721-196 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Horn, 11th century, (1881). Etching of an oliphant, (ivory horn), with metal mounts, made 1000-1100 AD, possibly in Italy. The surface is carved with a network of interconnected circles containing animals, in a decorative style derived from Islamic art. It is possible that ivory carvers from Egypt settled in Southern Italy or Sicily during this period. From "The South Kensington Museum", a book of engraved illustrations, with descriptions, of the works of art in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (formerly known as the South Kensington Museum). [Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London, 1881]