Featured Tortoise/Turtle

Where do you think this little chap originated from?
He's about 6cm long.
Presumably some touristy souvenir but he’s a bit more nicely carved than most on eBay. What do you think it’s made of?
Some sort of very basic signature on the bottom on his foot.
Thanks

 

Pottery of some type? Heavy/light; hollow/solid; etc.? Shaped more like a tortoise but sellers probably not fussy about terminology & likely to just say turtle.

Signature in cuneiform?

 

Sorry, I didn't describe it very well did I!
He's solid and heavy. Feels like stone and cold to touch.
You can see the inside of the stone where his foot has been broken off.
Maybe each carver got paid by how many they produced and each had a symbol to sign it with?

 

Ebony??

 

soapstone?

 

It's definitely a type of stone so don't think ebony.
Could be soapstone?

 

"He's" neat!!!! Looks like a couple of his feet could use some 'Kyratizing'!!!!!!!

 

What about Obsidian?
There are lots of black marble ones on my internet search but they've all got rounded shells, none that I can see with the ridges.
Agree his foot and tail need some tlc. I'm going to have to google what a tortoise tail looks like!.

 

A search for which brings up dried shrimps, dead fish other terrapin fodder!

 

Depends on gender as well as species.

 

Nice Turtle!

 

KSW, I hate to ask, but what does Mary say? Who knows, she may help

 

I’m not sure I even have this turtle any more as it’s an old thread but I don’t think I ever tested it. Possibly I had it when I was returning multiple gem testers back to the shop for being faulty. Now I’m just left with one who can’t make her mind up apart from diamonds.
If I find it in the hoard I will test it!

 

I had a very similar one once; it was a very dense wood, ebony or rosewood, and from India.