Sea ivory was used to make magnificent objects for the church and the elite and was exported through vast distances. A great deal of the walrus ivory came from Greenland. The island held Norse settlements in medieval times and was a part of the Norwegian commonwealth – all the land ruled by the Norwegian king.  

The export ran through Norway, and a large amount came to Trondheim, which was an Archbishopric at the time. Here, skilled craftspeople made beautiful objects that were considered high status among the European elite.  

The trade in sea ivory hit the walrus and whale population with devastating force, however. The slaughter of walrus was so extensive that it might have contributed to the abandonment of the Norse settlements on Greenland.  

 The exhibition «Sea Ivories» shows several beautiful medieval objects made from sea ivory. It examines the skills behind the crafts, the routes the goods travelled, and what consequences the trade had for the animals that provided the raw materials. “Sea Ivories” presents alternative pathways in our relationships with wildlife, like sustainable hunting and successful conservation of species.  

The exhibition runs until June 14th.

The exhibition is supported by the Research Council of Norway and is associated with the European Research Council Synergy project 4-OCEANS: A Human History of Marine Life c.100 BCE to c.1860 CE.