The above old Octagonal Ivory Block originally would have been handcut in the early 1900s in north-west India, probably in one of the princely courts of Rajasthan, and was probably a section of a longer Octagonal Ivory Block. One can but conjecture on its intended use; it could once have been a segment of the handle of a mirror.
The above 12mm thick/32mm long octagonal Ivory block was made into a pendant in the early 1970s in Pahar Ganj New Delhi, capped top and bottom with handworked Silver.
Note: elephants are not killed or hunted for their Ivory in India, and never have been, for 1. the elephant is altogether too useful as a beast of burden, and 2. one of the most beloved of India’s pantheon of deities is Ganesh, who takes the form of an elephant. Old Indian Ivory such as the above came from polling the tusks of palace elephants for safety reasons or, frequently enough, through the killing of a rogue elephant.