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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Serial on June 23, 2012, 07:27:46 AM
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i have recently purchased a mother of pearl shell with a picture carved into it. it is quite large (about 22 cm wide) and the detail on it is amazing!
i have struggled to find any info on value or origin and was hoping for help
it is slightly yellowed so i assume it has some age on it
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more pics close up to show detail
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Can you please post a picture of the back side of the shell?
Are there any markings, English or other that indicate origin? Symbols on it anywhere?
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That is beautiful! My first thought was that it could be Japanese, but it could also be US or English if it is Victorian era. Take a close look at the whole thing with a magnifying glass for clues.
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Need to see the back side like KC said !! Offhand, it looks too perfect to be hand carved !! I looked and compared two of the leaves and they are identical !! Not a scratch or anything I can see that would tell me it was hand done !! There are no signs of carving, all lines are perfect and in order to do this kind of work, all the excess would have to be removed to leave the relief !! Where did you get this item ??
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I was wondering the same thing Mart....
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back
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more detail
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just to let you know, i picked this up for $12 at an op shop.
i recognised quality when i saw it (the piece alone weighs about 1/2kg +). the level of detail is amazing. even if its not that old, whoever carved this is a master
however it is yellowed and i believe it takes 20+ years to get to that state. add to that the fact that no 2 leaves are the same and i can see the tool marks with magnifying glass this is one of my best finds ever and i am sure no machine made this
i have checkeed and found no marks/stamps etc that may indicated origin
i am interested in what people think it is worth?
age?
origin?
i think the flower and bird will be my best clue
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Good luck with it !! Sorry but I just don`t see it !! I enlarged your last detail shot !! Same opinion !! If there were any variation in the lines I might agree with you,, but there is none !! One thing you look for in anything hand done is not the perfection,,, its the imperfections !! That tells the tale !!
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so how would they carve this with a machine?
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These days lots are being carved with laser.
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Well, either way, you clearly love it. And that should be the main reason for collecting anyhow. Just my two cents.
It's quite pretty. You didn't pay a lot for it. Sounds like a good purchase to me :)
I'm following the thread to see what conclusion everyone comes to.
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It IS beautiful, however it may be carved. I'm leaning toward machine-made as well.
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ok i have looked over it with a 30x mag glass. found a few inperfecions. will try to take pics and up load soon
i do like it and it is pretty. either way i am happy
i would just like to know age/orign atm
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this is the best i can do with my camera. note the inperfections in the cut, this is one of the reasons i was drawn to it originally, it was clean but not perfect like a laser cut item would be
btw i have looked high and low on the interwebz for info on this. i have only found 4 other items close to it and they did not have detail anywhere near as good so if it was mass produced i would expect to find it on gumtree/craigs list/ebay or something.
i just cant find anything on this so any direction would be apprciated and i am happy to do my own research
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Where are the carving marks ?? If you look at the last pic you posted,, note the veins on the main leaf all are same exact size and shape,, not even one is wider or more narrow than the others and they end the same at the edge. That is why I think it was not hand carved !! Its too exact !! But if it is or is not machine done,, my thought is that its either Japanese or done by many Islanders as a tourist item. And believe me,, the technology has increased considerably in the most remote places. If I had to put a value on it as a decorative object,, I would say around $50.
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I agree that it is gorgeous. We have a whole collections of shells (many are boxed - we have too many from over the years).
I am leaning towards machined....just don't see the marks/markings that handmade would leave. BUT, I am viewing a picture in low quality resolution compared to a hands on.
The thing that catches my eye is that the bird is behind - more like a background item - with less importance than the flower and twigs. Just appears to have a "new" feel - like the end of 1980's forward. Just can't make out a style (EX: Phillippines, etc.)
Hopefully someone else will pop in and know more!
Best of luck!
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Cool little item , Serial .
It's 'Asian' in origin , but it is a bit oddly themed for the 'Asian-only' market , however it's looking like a cutie through my eyes .
I don't think you'll like my very best guess (unless you're Japanese & use such facial/beauty products) , Serial , but hey here goes :
IMO
Your item appears to be a mixing vessel for nightingale droppings , as are commonly used in Japan ... such items sometimes come as fancy special 'gift sets' and as such usually have a few extra items nestled within them (in their gift boxes) , such as a smoother (bamboo or shell) , a short-bristled brush , a silk bag full of nightingale poop , a hand-fan & blotting papers/rice chaff bags.
The odd thing to me , concerning the motif of the carvings is depicting the "Nightingale & Rose" , which comes from the title of a "western" poem , rather than the more famous (in Japan) Onoto Watannas' "A Japanese Nightingale" .
I'd also say that your item is very much indended to be given from a mother to a daughter , or from a husband to his wife , as the depiction is symbolic of great love .
As to the patina , well I can't really say , as dyed shell items can be easily 'doctored' to color(s)-of-choice... I'd hazard a guess of the 1970's-1980's , which ain't a real guess , cuz I kaint see the dang thing in front of me in RL !
So there's my 2 yens-worth .
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Fancypants, I am for once at a loss for words.....written or spoken!
Nope....can't do it.....
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Boy , do I know how ya' feel , KC ....
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thanks guys, appriciate the info. problem is i cant find anything like it online.
i have checked auction houses, ebay,online selling forums the works.
anyone able to post a link to something like it?
wish i could put it in your hands, pictures dont do it justice and being mother of pearl its hard to take a picture without the flash bluring the pic