Posted 3 years ago
DSM
(65 items)
Trying to figure out if these pieces are for a necklace. I purchased them from an estate sale. Don't know where, what, when.
Asian Ivory/Bone? | ||
| Asian Amulets1 of 30 |  |  |
Asian Ivory/Bone? | ||
| Asian Amulets1 of 30 | | |
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Posted 3 years ago
DSM
(65 items)
Trying to figure out if these pieces are for a necklace. I purchased them from an estate sale. Don't know where, what, when.
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These are cool DSM.
I'm pretty sure they are bone. When you look at the back there are dark marks which are the blood vessels in bone, ivory would not have this.
I'm not sure of their purpose but I think they are probably Chinese with the tortoise motif and likely for some sort of cord to go through them as fasteners.
Thank you racer4four. Now I'm learning something new about bone. This item is a challenge for me. If I ever find out the history in the making, I'll let you know.
maybe
A netsuke is a small sculptural object which has gradually developed in Japan over a period of more than three hundred years. Netsuke (singular and plural) initially served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The traditional form of Japanese dress, the kimono, had no pockets. Women would tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco pouches, pipes, purses, writing implements, and other items of daily use on a silk cord passed behind their obi (sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. The netsuke was attached to the other end of the cord preventing the cord from slipping through the obi. A sliding bead (ojime) was strung on the cord between the netsuke and the sagemono to allow the opening and closing of the sagemono.
The entire ensemble was then worn, at the waist, and functioned as a sort of removable external pocket. All three objects (netsuke, ojime and the different types of sagemono) were often beautifully decorated with elaborate carving, lacquer work, or inlays of rare and exotic materials. Subjects portrayed in netsuke include naturally found objects, plants and animals, legends and legendary heroes, myths and mystical beasts, gods and religious symbols, daily activities, and myriad other themes. Many netsuke are believed to have been talismans. These items eventually developed into highly coveted and collectible art forms. Today we see a broad range from “folk art” carvings to levels of sophistication some consider to be fine art.
it does,not feel good shallow incision fading sumi, got doubts about this
apostata! thanks for the history lesson, so beautifully written. I'll take it to a museum and see what they have to say about it, if any. I'll let you know. Thanks
netsuke:
Hornbill ivory: Of the many varieties of hornbill, only the helmeted hornbill (Buceros vigil or Rhinoplax vigil) furnishes an ivory-like substance. This is a dense substance found in the solid casque growing above the upper mandible (the bird’s forehead). Structurally, it is not ivory, horn, or bone, yet it has been called ivory for many centuries. It is softer than real ivory and is a creamy yellow in color, becoming red at the top and sides. This feature can be used for highlights in a carving.
Umimatsu: The literal translation is “seapine”. It is in fact a species of black coral with dense texture, concentric growth rings, and amber or reddish colored inclusions in the otherwise brown-black material. True coral, however, is a hard calcareous substance secreted by marine polyps for habitation. Umimatsu, on the other hand, is a colony of keratinous antipatharian marine organisms. As a material, it is more acceptable to collectors than carvers as it was prone to crack, crumble or chip. Carvers find that it is risky for carving details and subtle effects.
Umimatsu was also used as inlays for eyes, buttons, etc.
Umoregi: There are several definitions, some contradictory. It has been called a partially fossilized wood, having the general appearance of ebony but showing no grain. Also often called fossilized wood, umoregi is not properly a wood, but a "jet" (a variety of lignite), that is often confused with ebony in appearance. It is a shiny material that takes an excellent polish but it has a tendency to split. Umoregi-zaiku is petrified wood formed when cedar and pine trees from the Tertiary Age (5 million years ago) were buried underground and then carbonized. The layers of earth where umoregi-zaiku can be found extend under the Aobayama and Yagiyama sections of Sendai, Japan. Pieces made from this material are generally very dark brown with the soft luster of lacquer.
Walrus tusk: Walrus have two large tusks (elongated canine teeth) projecting downward from the upper jaw. These tusks, often reaching two feet in length, have been extensively carved as ivory for centuries in many countries and especially in Japan. Walrus tusk carvings are usually easy to identify, because much of the interior of the tooth is filled with a mottled, almost translucent substance that is harder and more resistant to carving than the rest of the tooth. Manju, especially ryusa manju, invariably show this translucent material at opposite edges of the netsuke.
Whale's tooth: The sperm whale has teeth running the whole length of its enormous lower jaw. Those in the middle tend to be the largest, often obtaining a length of more than six to eight inches. Often used elsewhere by carvers of scrimshaw, a large tooth could be used to produce several netsuke.
Whale bone: All bones are hollow, the cavity being filled with a spongy material. Cuts across some bone show a pattern of minute holes looking like dark dots. Lengthwise, such bone displays many narrow channels which appear to be dark lines of varying lengths. Polished, bone is more opaque and less shiny than ivory.
Teeth: A variety of other teeth are used for netsuke, including: boar, bear, and even tiger.
Tagua nut: The nut from the ivory palm (Phytelephas aequatorialis), often referred to as vegetable ivory. Part of the nut’s shell sometimes remains on netsuke carvings. Though often mistaken for or deceptively sold as elephant ivory, items made from the two-to-three-inch nut have none of the striations common to animal ivory, and sometimes the ivory-like nut flesh has a light yellow cast under a rough coconut-shell-like external covering. The nut is very hard when dry, but easily worked into artistic items when wet.
Walnut (kurumi): The meat from the nut was removed by various means, one being the insertion of a small worm in a hole in the nut to consume the meat. Following that, elaborate designs could be carved in the shell and the cord inserted. The carver often removed all of the nut's normal surface features and carved through the surface in places to create a latticed effect. Once carved, the resulting netsuke was polished and shellaced.
Bamboo: Iyo bamboo is occasionally used for netsuke. Bamboo netsuke are carved from either a piece of the stem or the root. Carvings in the round are usually made from the underground stem portion of the plant, the small almost solid zone that connects to the creeping rhizome below the ground. Bamboo netsuke are not commonly encountered. Occasionally, one comes across a netsuke fashioned from bamboo root which can reveal the wonderful texture of the material.
Wow!!! This is also a great lesson. Thank you!. I was browsing the International Society of Netsuke and sent an email. I'll let you know their findings. I'm printing all the information you sent for my records, I appreciate you
Japanese Antique of a Netsuke Monkey trainer (Sarumawashi)
deep sumi staghandler e bay comparison to shallow sumi
pending ebay seller Tershyu0
I don't see a resemblance. I searched over 100 images and the only artistry style I came across at; https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_F-1073
Meanwhile, a curator just contacted me and will get back to me asap. I'll let you know his views.
Ok, so the Curator said; souvenir piece 20 th c.
I still want an ID; what, where and when.
He also said it's ivory and it is unsaleable in NY.
well i gave an comparison to try to make an distinction between the application of
deep sumi and deep incision versus your netsuke
your comparison to an actually an Kaigyoku Masatsugu acolite is not so comparable because it is late EDo or early Meijji and and is an master for thousands of euro,s
i don,t know it is ivory , because i am not skilled well enough and i got very bad eyes , you don,t need Schreger line to be ivory
the rest is What is CITES? regulations The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species in wild flora and fauna (CITES ) is an international agreement between governments on the protection of wild animals and plants.
i believe the dichotomy is around 1947 i believe
actually IMO no-one cares about the regulations , because the trading on the side(silk road ) is very much bigger then the official trading
and a certification does not mean much , because the license is for Asiatica, and that,s an sort of container license
it,s a twenty century piece , but there no reasen to downgrade it to a bad tourist piece
You know apostata, the man I dealt with earlier is a curator and dealer, he still hasn't
gotten back to me regarding what, when or where! As for the downgrading; I found so many souvenir's being sold out there for high end value from the early fifties and up so, I totally agree with you. Thanks