Premila Thurairatnam, whose article in The CEYLANKAN May 2024 Issue is entitled ”Ceylon Ivory”
In Ceylon, ivory was used in carving as early as the 2nd century CE or earlier1. Descriptions of Lanka in the epic Ramayana refer to ivory-embellished chariots and ivory panels. By the 15th century, ivory carving had become important enough to result in placing ivory workers fairly high on the social scale, just below the farmers and ivory was the second largest export next to cinnamon. The carving was performed with a high degree of skill using simple tools like saws, chisels and rasps to produce ivory knife handles, combs, bangles, boxes, book covers, compasses and architectural elements, such as ornamentation around door frames. Use of ivory in religious images was unique to Ceylon since being an animal substance, other cultures regarded it as inappropriate or simply too difficult to obtain1. Even today, it is common practice to place mounted elephant tusks on each side of temple doorways and ivory confiscated from poachers or from elephants that die is donated to temples.
Ceylon Ivory 
Fig 1. Fan. Kotte 1540-55. Ivory, rubies and gold on wool, 57cm high ….. Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, Munich; exh. Museum Rietberg, Zürich6.
Casket 1 – Kunsthistorishces Museum, Vienna
Fig 2 (Casket 1). Kotte before 1542. 14.9 x 25 x 16cm. Handle and feet contemporary Indo-Portuguese, the lock-plate probably South German, mid-16th century silver mounts. Kunsthistorishces Museum, Vienna7.
