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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Skinny on May 05, 2019, 05:07:31 pm

Title: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 05, 2019, 05:07:31 pm

What do y'all thing about this wood carving? She's 12.25" tall by about 5" at the base. She's got part of an earring and a bit of hair chipped off on one side. Seems to have a little age at least. Very exaggerated long arms and fingers.

Any ideas on age, origin, maybe value? Somewhere in Asia I would think. Maybe even the Philippines?

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 05, 2019, 05:11:28 pm

Pic 2

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 05, 2019, 05:14:22 pm

Pic 3

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Rauville on May 06, 2019, 11:02:52 am

Could it have been a bookend? I have a carved set from the Philippines that date back to the 1940's.

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: ghopper1924 on May 06, 2019, 12:00:23 pm

Seems attenuated, Art Deco style, so 30s or 40s would make sense. However, I don't know if Deco made any kind of stylistic impression in southeast Asia?

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 06, 2019, 12:32:35 pm

Here's a picture of the back. I don't imagine it's a bookend because it's carved on the back of the base. It's a bit big too

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: mart on May 06, 2019, 08:06:07 pm

There are some areas on the bottom that look like something was glued on !!  Lighter colored on the pic !!  I have seen bookkends that had a metal plate attached to the bottom !!  The metal plate slid under the books and the carved part was just decorative !!  I didn1t see much if anything on the figure that looked hand carved !!  Was very regular/even lines !!

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 06, 2019, 10:12:28 pm

It's hand carved, it's just fairly well done. I collect wood carvings, and a good craftsman can really do amazing things with the medium. There are tons of people in many poorer countries who are really skilled at the different crafts that they do for export. I think if it was a bookend it wouldn't be carved on the back of the base  it would be flat and smooth against the books. I have lots of bookends of various age and description, and they are all between 4"-7". This thing is really too big being over a foot tall. It just appears to be a stand alone decorative object to me. Something to put on a table and look at.

The bottom has only been roughed in with a gouge. I think if something was ever glued to it they would have plained it flat for better adherance. That white might be laquer that wasn't wiped down or something to do with the varnishing/staining process. Something like that I would think

Title: Re: Asian carved female figure
Post by: Skinny on May 06, 2019, 10:26:58 pm

Maybe you can see a little bit better detail in this picture. The next phone I buy is going to have a better camera