The cultures that originated there did, however, conquer North Africa where elephants were common. And as Mediterranean trade developed, elephant tusks went where elephants did not--across the sea into Europe. Imported ivory products also had a period of fashionability in Western art.
不產大象的地中海文化，征服了遍地大象的北非，隨著地中海貿易，象牙喧賓奪主，比主子大象先放洋歐洲，「進口象牙」也為西方藝術記錄下時代風格。