British Museum buys collection of Middle East ivory carvings
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12 April 2012
An outstanding collection of decorative ivories discovered by Agatha Christie's husband has been bought by the British Museum for £1.17 million.
The Nimrud Ivories were carved on pieces of elephant ivory nearly 3,000 years ago. They were discovered in the ancient city of Nimrud, in modern-day Iraq, between 1949 and 1963 by the team led by Sir Max Mallowan, but have never been on public display.
John Curtis, from the British Museum's Middle East department, said: "Nimrud is one of the most important sites in the Ancient Near East and the carved ivories found there are among the finest products recovered from an archaeological excavation."
