Ivory Painting

Ivory Painting flourished under the royal patronage of Mughal emperors. This delicate art involves brush work, preparations of the colors from crushed stone and drawing fine lines of a human figure. The artist draws outlines of the image on plain ivory and skillfully fill it with bright and vibrant colors. These transparent colors reveal the creamy ivory surface. Executed in watercolors, these paintings commonly depict royal courts, hunting expeditions, love scenes, and portraits. Today, ivory painting is disappearing because of the international prohibition on the use of ivory.