Hello, and thank you. I have a couple of bone/ivory statues, and I have questions about both of them. My dad brought them back from the Far East after the war, in 1948.
First, the small one (3 1/4″ tall). It has a hole in the bottom, and appears to be hollow inside. Why is that? Does that mean this is a fake, or an imitation?
Any information at all would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks. /Brian
Thats because natural bone is hollow and is filled with marrow !! The marrow is what is eaten by most people !! Because of the small size this is probably natural bone !! Usually ox bone !! These little figures are put on a wooden stand to hide the cut marks and sold to tourists and soldiers !! Were quite common after WWll when Japan was trying to recover from the war !! These and other crafts were cottage industries and helped the families feed themselves during tough times !! To check and see if its natural bone or resin,, get a strong magnifying glass and look at the grain along any straight part of the figure !! Bone will have a fairly straight grain,, resin will show no grain,, !! These are often called faux ivory !!
Did you take a close look at the 3rd picture, the one of the base?