"Ivory Black" pigment - Enamelled plaque, circa 1900

Old enameled plate bearing the inscription "NOIR D'IVOIRE" (Ivory Black), from a set of enameled plates that equipped the drawers of an old color merchant's cabinet. Ivory Black is a historic black pigment originally obtained by calcining ivory fragments; preparations marketed under this name were then often replaced by fine quality bone blacks. It was prized in oil and watercolor painting for its dense black with slightly bluish hues. Color merchants supplied pigments, colors, and various raw materials to painters, decorators, and artisans; their drawer cabinets allowed these numerous powders and preparations to be stored separately, each compartment identified by a plate like this one.

✦ Estimated period: Circa 1900-1920
✦ Provenance: France, former color merchant
✦ Dimensions: approx. 13 × 3 cm
✦ Material: Enameled plate
✦ Condition: Good used condition, with enamel chips on the edges, traces of oxidation, scratches and wear due to age.

Old enameled plate "Noir d'Ivoire", a beautiful professional object linked to the history of black pigments and old color merchant shops.