The great wealth of the Assyrian Empire in the first millennium B.C.E. is apparent in extraordinary art that often originated outside Assyria proper. The booty that Assyrian kings had brought back to their capital from military campaigns included ivories, such as furniture decoration and beds, as well as daggers, cups, and dishes. Huge quantities of ivories were found in the palaces, temples, and private houses at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu). Sometimes the Assyrians described the ivory as being overlaid with gold or silver, or inlaid and bejeweled. Occasional remnants have survived.

Three main styles of ivory carving can be identified: a local "Assyrian" style similar in design to the royal stone reliefs; a "North Syrian" style, with designs related to stone carvings of north Syrian cities; and a "Phoenician" style, with designs that reveal Egyptian influence. Within each of these major styles were...