Instead of as "Ancient Art", Looking at an Eighth Century BC Ivory Carving as Craft

 

Despite, or perhaps because of its lack of context and 'grounding', the Steinman Cosmetic Spoon recently returned to Palestine by US authorities is an interesting object. I'm wondering why a (presumably) 'high end' object coming from a (presumably) reputable dealer and in a billionaire's private collection in his home (presumably) is so grubby and dirty. In fact not just all-over 'dust of ages' dirty-dirty, but the dirt highlights the design. It also obscures the toolmarks. I am interested in them, the laying out lines and the cutting of the design. What tool or tools were used to create these shallow round-bottomed (on the whole) lines with their tapering and blunt ends? How were the curves obtained? In the shoulder for example? Some hatching lines are parallel, some radiate. Look at the creature's (proper) right forearm, what tool is that the traces of?  There is an odd area of what could be acid-damage where the creature's wing approaches the border of the spoon's bowl. Would that have been caused in or out of a burial environment? Why just there? What a shame that this loose item is not 'grounded' in a proper archaeological context. So much information is missing that would help set these observations into context. Or is the lack of context telling us something else? Who can say?

I suggest the Palestinians get a proper tool-trace analysis done of this item before and after cleaning (they can always reversibly dirty it up again for aesthetic effect afterwards) and do some experimental work for comparanda, and then publish the results.