Where was this produced?
Scholars have attributed this box to Amalfi, in southern Italy. It was the capital of the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200. Maritime trade with Byzantium and the Islamic world brought prosperity to Amalfi and fame for its flourishing schools of law, mathematics, and art workshops.
Ivory was treasured by the ancient and medieval civilizations of the Mediterranean, and ivory was popular in Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic art. From these civilizations, medieval Italians inherited a love for the material and the skills for carving it. Ivory was popular throughout the Middle Ages for its creamy color and malleable texture. Elephant ivory was imported from Africa as a deluxe material for both ecclesiastical and secular clients.