Mesoamerican (I think) Book Ends | ||
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Posted 9 years ago
HalloweenG…
(16 items)
I have had these for a long time and have always loved them.
However, I'm not exactly certain where they were crafted, so Mesoamerican is my best guess.
Perhaps someone knows??
Thanks!
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These are absolutely fabulous!!
I know, right! Timeless.
Had fun shooting them too. Spent about half hour doing that with a single light bulb, bounced off the ceiling and long-ish exposures.
Toltec souvenirs? I have no clue, but they are neat. :)
Fantastic photos and really do these justice.
Are they from a type of alabaster or another stone?
A lot of these type of pieces are carved from soapstone, though from picture it looks like it may be alabaster.
Thanks for the photo kudos. I appreciate that.
When putting items on eBay I have found good photos help.
I thought the bookends were onyx but am not certain.
Appreciate the comments.
I believe Onyx is actually correct. They appear to be White Onyx. The finish on Alabaster is generally more of a soft matte finish, and not glossy like these are.
Thanks welzebub!
Interesting. Yes, it's Meso-American. Here is one very similar, it's from the Mayan ruins of Uxmal:
http://www.mesoweb.com/es/recursos/MNA/51.html
It can be a copy of a Toltec statue too, they had a very big influence on the Mayan civilisation - Toltecs invaded the Mayan cities in the 10th century.
Thank you Marta!
This was along the lines of what I had guessed but the example you provided really affirms it.
Mystery solved!!
Nice work Martika, I appreciate that very much indeed.
JT
These are stunning!!
You are welcome! :)
Hi again. I just have a remark about the material. This isn't onyx. The real onyx is much harder, 7 on Mohs scale and more rare. It would be a real job to carve such a detailed work from onyx like your pieces. I believe PhilMorris is right - your carvings are probably made from soapstone, marble or alabaster - from some kind of soft stone. The majority of things sold as onyx in reality is not onyx, it is just a wrong labelling. Here you can read more about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx
Well alright! Thank you again, Martika for your generosity and expertise.
I really appreciate it.
J
Dear JT, I'm not an expert, only an enthusiast.
Honest and modest too, I might add. Lol!
Thanks again my fine lady.