British Museum group of stone reliefs from the excavations of Max von Oppenheim at Tell Halaf that was purchased in 1920. More material followed from the excavations of Max Mallowan at Chagar Bazar and Tell Brak in 1935–1938 and from Woolley at Alalakh in the years just before and after the Second World War. Mallowan returned with his wife Agatha Christie to carry out further digs at Nimrud in the postwar period which secured many important artefacts for the museum. The collection of Palestinian material was strengthened by the work of Kathleen Kenyon at Jericho in the 1950s and the acquisition in
Ivory Carved Dashavtar India, used to be the hub of ivory craft, before it was banned in the country. Many artisans and craftsmen from various parts of south India (especially Trivandrum) specialized in carving ivory. Decorated with black paint, the screen and the base of the shrine shows the signature style of craftsmanship of Mysore school of ivory painting. However, ivory is a bone medium and so is forbidden to be worshiped in Hinduism. And so this raises the question as to why this shrine was carved in ivory. All the images are fixed on a painted stepped base made of sandalwood. The