Mária T. Biró: The Bone Objects of the Roman Collection. (Catalogi Musei Nationalis Hungarici. Seria Archeologica 2; Budapest, 1994)

INTRODUCTION - 2. The technical process of bone carving

other cases there were circles of different sizes placed on the surface or rows, triangles, fan shapes composed of circles of equal size. From circles, or rather from reversely placed semicircles undulating lines could be composed. Lattice pattern. There appeared at the end of the 3rd century and generally spread throughout the 4th century the covering of the surface of bone objects with lines crossing each other. This square net or lattice motif required much poorer technical accomplishment than dot-circle motifs. This lattice pattern often covers the whole surface irrespective of forms. While the earlier employment of lines with double sided combs was deeper and was organically better suited to other decoration motifs. The scratching of this later lattice pattern was more superficial and its employment was entirely independent of the division of the surface to be decorated. It can be often observed that this pattern was incised into the object during the secondary employment. It can be also observed that the earlier life-like animal representation was later, after this being worn, uniformly scratched with lines crossing each other. Punched decoration. From the second third of the 4th century we meet the last type of surface decoration of bone. This decoration recalls the punched technique of metal works. With the help of a sharp tool small marks were left in the bone and from these engravings geometric forms and abstract animal figures were composed. This technique is characteristic of the so-called Marosszentanna-type combs. In the latter case the name of the technique was borrowed by us from metal processing while the other two techniques were not the sole characteristics of bone carving industry, either. Dot-circle motifs could be observed on Greek and Etruscan bronze vessels and on small plastics. Lattice pattern, which appeared only on Late-Roman bone carvings, was practically identical with the decorative technique of smoothed pottery. That is, both techniques — both lattice and punched decoration — appeared in the Empire as a result of the new impulses arriving from outside the borders of the Empire. The carvings themselves could be hand carved unique pieces or series produced on lathe. The quality of hand made carvings was primarily determined by the skill of the bone carver. Here we should call attention to the circumstance that Roman bone carvers can not be compared with our popular artists or with the shepherds carvings. Roman bone carvers were always copying; so-called naive art did not exist in the Empire. Artistic creations were made only in the great centres, in Rome, in Alexandria or in Constantinople (e. g. the diptychs.) The workshops of the provinces were always copying. There is practically no carving the analogy of which could not be found somewhere else in the Empire. The quality of carvings was determined by the skill of the carver just as well as by the quality of the prototype he copied. If the object he wanted to copy, i. e.. the prototype was worn, it could happen that significant details were missing from the copy or they were employed on the copy without inherence. Figurai carvings, carved by hand, represented human figures, gods, goddesses or gladiators. Animal representations were also preferred. In representing animals they aimed at life-like visualization. Scenes with animal figures are often parts of compositions representing animals fighting. Beside the demand for life-like representation and naturalism a tendency for miniaturizing was also present. Their hair pins were often decorated with 0,7-1,0 cm small heads, busts. Their masterly skill and perfect technique is proved by the circumstance that these tiny carvings do not lose from their life-likeness even when seen on photos ten times enlarged; they are not distorted, on the contrary, they are an enjoyable sight. Multiplying and the possibility of mechanization in bone carving could be realized with the introduction of lathe. With the help of lathe they tried to plan such motifs that were comparable to the effect of architecture in marble and stone, or that of pottery in clay; of metal work in bronze or precious metals. Such decorative effects were rows of astragalos, grooves, ribs recalling capitals of columns. Mechanization has brought about the possibility of multiplying objects and also the possibility of stereotyping. Objects produced on lathe were all alike except for their size. Decoration did not tell us whether the respective object is a hinge joint or ink-pot, spindle or urguentum stick, jar or dice box, lid, spindle-weight or counter.