Tagua nut or vegetable ivory, known in Europe as, corozo or corozzo, was a commodity at the end of the 19th century. It resembles animal ivory in its color, hardness, look and texture but, unlike it,
it is produced by a plant. As a result of its characteristics it was used in a variety of industries (most importantly the button industry). This in turn led it to be a sought after commodity for which colonizing countries like Germany and Italy waged battle. With the mass introduction of plastic, the interest and use of Tagua in the marketplace decreased. more...
