ivory was not a prestigious material in the rather strict hierarchy of chinese art, where jade had always been far more highly regarded, and rhinoceros horn (which was not ivory) had a special auspicious meaning. but ivory, as well as bone, had been used for various items since early times when china still had its own species of elephant. demand for ivory seems to have played a large part in their extinction, which came before 100 bc. during the ming dynasty, ivory began to be used for small statuettes of gods and others (see gallery). in the qing dynasty, it suited the growing taste for intricate carving and became more prominently used for brush-holders, boxes, handles and similar pieces. later on, canton even developed large models of houses and other large and showy pieces, which remained popular. enormous examples are still seen as decorative centrepieces at government receptions. figures were typically uncoloured, or just with certain features coloured in ink which was often just black, but sometimes a few other colors.