Nimrud ivories that followed the death of Sargon II in 705 BC or when Nineveh fell and was destroyed in 612 BC. Mallowan's wife was the famous British crime novelist, Agatha Christie (1890–1976), who was fascinated with archaeology, and who accompanied her husband on the Nimrud excavations. Christie helped photograph and preserve many of the ivories found during the excavations, explaining in her autobiography that she cleaned the ivories using a fine knitting needle, an orange stick and a pot of face cream. The collection of ivories uncovered by Mallowan were divided between Iraq and Britain, where they remained at the British
Conservation and restoration of ivory objects Conservation and restoration of ivory objects The conservation and restoration of ivory objects is activities dedicated to the preservation and projection of ivory object that have a value either historically or personally. Within institutions of cultural heritage this role is ideally taken on by the conservator. Ivory is relatively soft and can be worked on with nonmetal tools so it is often carved in decorative object, practical objects, and can be inlaid in other pieces. A popular decorative ivory work is scrimshaw, which is etched ivory with black or colored pigments. Ivory objects have been around since prehistoric times. Its