Featured Highly Unusual Example of Uniquely Asian Bamboo Craft

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by wlwhittier, Jan 22, 2023.

  1. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    I think it isn't a cricket cage...'tho a cricket could live in it, I suppose. I believe it is a pair of combs...for the hair that grows above the ears.
    The most wonderful part of them is that they will fit together in maybe half a dozen ways, but there are at least 2 of those that allow a near perfect fit! There are 45 points on each (of course)...which divides evenly 8 times into 360 degrees. Whether the crafty carver used those indexes in his work is open to question...but there are so many indicators that testify to his/her profound skill and knowledge of the materials at their disposal...every time I hold it, take it apart & reassemble it, I'm awe-struck afresh...bewildered! it's ~2" diameter, an' ~2" tall; weight is a bit over 19 grams.

    Have any of you seen the like? Can anyone say with a degree of certainty where it was made...and even better, when? If I were to offer a guess (an' that's all it would be) it would be the Philippines.
    As always, I'm grateful for your attention, and your informed comments! Thanks for lookin'!

    8E183139-7412-4D15-A9E9-A151B4AF70D6_1_201_a.jpeg 69F89612-D9CE-422F-A630-4B24BE18BDB8_1_201_a.jpeg 3D68A608-ED90-4F90-ABA1-3771448157F3_1_201_a.jpeg 1CCC106B-6F31-4A0F-AA79-457266F54F63_1_201_a.jpeg 7D5481F5-5DE2-4306-A21B-0136CED3400A_1_201_a.jpeg C563B543-FCFE-4FDC-8C54-208B1F0DD993_1_201_a.jpeg A2CBBA24-C6E3-4EC9-8BAF-9A09CB123433_1_201_a.jpeg
     
  2. Taupou

    Taupou Well-Known Member

    I'd be interested to know, because I have the bottom/top (?) of one of these. It was identified as a comb, but that was only half of what this is, and I did have doubts...never did find out what it was, and have no idea where it is now.
     
    wlwhittier and kyratango like this.
  3. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

  4. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  5. TallCakes

    TallCakes Well-Known Member

    Potteryplease and Any Jewelry like this.
  6. Lark

    Lark Well-Known Member

    Holly beat me to it. I even got up early today! I have one that I have kept for when i do needle felting and use raw wool.
     
    Potteryplease likes this.
  7. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    The machine-made combs aren't, of course...nor do I believe my pair were individually carved an' just happen to match so finely; There's the same lathe-work on each half. But I'll agree that the 'Shaker' examples put the probability of mine having been made in the Philippines a whole lot lower.

    I wasn't aware that Shakers worked in bamboo...that will require a bit of deeper digging.
     
  8. wlwhittier

    wlwhittier Well-Known Member

    Great, Lark! May we see pics, please?
     
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