Ivory

Ivory experienced its absolute heyday in furniture making during the Renaissance. Furniture fronts of the most precious pieces of furniture of that time were lavishly and completely covered with ivory.

Later, during the Baroque period, ivory was used for inlays and marquetry. It contrasted with dark woods and also made a piece of furniture at that time look particularly precious. The ivory was well suited for engravings, which were then dyed dark. This is how figurative pictures or coats of arms were created. Courtly and bourgeois Baroque furniture from Lower Saxony is famous for its ivory inlay work.

From the 18th century onwards, substitute materials were also used. These bones or bone putties are generally referred to as "bone".

Bone and ivory are also popular in the Biedermeier era and are used as thread inlays or key plates.