Ivory Ring
Technical object or ornament
Arcy-sur-Cure type, Yonne
Aurignacian
42 000 to 34 000 years
The debris of other ringed pendants found in the same level prove how familiar they were with this shape...
Y. Taborin, Langage sans parole. La parure aux temps préhistoriques. La maison des roches, 2004.
Commentary :
The mammoth ivory ring from Arcy-sur-Cure forms part of some of the oldest organic objects and ornaments, from the Aurignacian period.
Beyond its strange shape and its ivory sheen, its technical efficiency is what gives this small object a utilitarian function. The Aurignacian period, more than 35 000 years ago, sees the appearance of a diversity of tools and accessories that exploited new schematic shapes.
This revolution in object design, imbues everyday life with an unprecedented formal aesthetic.