Featured Carved Iv0ry basket

Because of Big Brother spying through algorithm...
As on eBay, I've seen it called pachyderm tooth

 

Typo, I've done it many times because the zero is almost right above the O on the keyboard.

 

Get thee to a dentist!
The pH of saliva is very near neutral in the healthy mouth. If it becomes acidic, it's often an indicator of chronic periodontal disease and such a mouth is more prone to dental decay and halitosis. If it becomes alkaline, it often indicates chronic gingivitis. "Normal" saliva is so near neutral that any slight deviation either way doesn't make any difference to it's antique cleaning abilities.

In answering Why We Sometimes Use Spit to Clean Paintings, the Getty Center states, "Human saliva is well-suited for removing dust, dirt, built-up grime, or foreign materials like nicotine from artwork. It contains enzymes including amylase and lipase, which break down starches and fats sometimes found in grime—not surprising considering saliva's role in helping you break down food!"

 

What a lovely piece. Congrats!
Ivory should be cleaned with a ph-neutral AND colourless soap and demineralized / low mineral water. You should undust it before with a soft natural hair paint brush. Ivory is very porous and is very easily stained, so don’t handle it too regularly or use cotton gloves. if oiling I‘d use mineral oil. It’s colourless, odorless without perfume and doesn’t get rancid. High quality mineral oil is food-grade and non-venomous. Keep your ivory out of direct sunlight, even better off indirect sunlight, too. UV alters the structure and it can turn yellow, too

 

Every day is a learning day!

Thankyou.
That’s an interesting point about the water which I hadn’t considered. Our water is very hard, full of lime which probably isn’t the best for delicate items.

 

That is why Soki advised demineralized water. You can buy it in bottles.