牙雕一般以象牙作为雕刻原材料。象牙与一般的牙齿不同，其表面没有珐琅质覆盖，非常怕酸，强酸可以将它腐蚀，弱酸亦可使其软化。如将象牙放在醋酸中浸泡，就可使之变软，再用刀或其它工具，旋以雕刻加工，往往就事半功倍了
Ivory carving is generally used as raw material for carving. Ivory
is different from ordinary teeth. Its surface is not covered with
enamel. It is very afraid of acid. Strong acid can corrode it and weak
acid can soften it. If the ivory is soaked in acetic acid, it can be
softened, and then carved with knives or other tools, often with twice
the effort.
骨雕
Bone carving
Bone sculpture has a long history. The skeleton sculpture unearthed
in Hejiawan, Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province in 1982 has a history of
more than 6,000 years. It is the earliest bone sculpture found in China
at present. It provides precious objects for the study of bone sculpture
art in China. The skeleton sculpture is relatively complete, the
position of the five senses is more accurate, the production techniques
are simple, rough, and the manner is simple and solemn. The ancestors of
the Neolithic Age fought against the harsh nature with extremely
backward productivity in order to survive. When they sought to survive,
they took local materials and created this work. Although naive and
simple, they expressed a kind of worship of ancestors 