Featured Walrus Tusk Carvings

The revival of the good/bad soapstone carvings thread reminded me that I promised/threatened to ask the community's insights and info on these 2 pieces.

They were bought on eBay from a seller in Washington State who had bought out the contents of a store, which included a box of carvings. Not having any other info on them, he tentatively concluded they were Kwakiutl. Think we've agreed that's not correct, and I assumed it was not at the time.

I believe both are (fossil?) walrus tusk. I know this material finds its way to Zuni carvers, so no reason to assume it indicates an origin in a region where hunting walrus is traditional or where there is permafrost. Am I correct that only Native Americans/First Peoples are allowed to own legally raw tusks? Not that there is any guarantee there either, but it would argue for an NA origin.

What I think of as the Butterscotch (the color is richer than photos pick up) Bobcat has been seen before.



Just about 2 inches, nose to rump, about 1.25 across the base. Very dense and heavy in the hand; cool, but not as cold as stone.

The carver of the bear used the natural colors and textures to give him a lighter tummy, throat and muzzle.






His overall length is about 2.25 inches, from tip of nose to heel of left hind paw. Like the bobcat, dense and heavy, polished to a high gloss.

I think they are both special, but darned if I can get any handle on where, when & by whom they were made. The floor is open.

 

If they are "fossil" there is no restrictions,there is with raw tusk though.

https://www.alaskafurexchange.com/walrus.shtml

https://gustavus.com/heidi/laws.html

 

Thanks. Wish there were a different term, as it is not fossilized the way petrified wood is, the organic material has not been replaced by other minerals.

The bottom of the bobcat could not look more like this illustration of a walrus tusk cross section from FWS:



Looks as though carver worked with the natural shape of the material instead of trying to force it to be a bobcat.

 

This has some of the feel of the bobcat, in doing minimal alteration to the tusk:


https://www.antiqueamericanindianar..._ox,_signed_Jon_Putt._One_horn_damaged._.html

 

Cant help but I love those !

 

I'm not sure the butterscotch one is a bobcat. Perhaps the artist took license with the dimensions, but the distance between the nose and the mouth seems to be significantly out of proportion and the heaviness of the body profile seems wrong. Just my thoughts. They are both quite beautiful and I WANT them.

 

Well they are definitely Walrus tusk, I have a bunch that I use to restore Inuit soapstone pieces that use bits of it here and there.
Not sure about origin, don't really look like the Canadian Inuit ivories I've had, so maybe Alaskan, as you say.

 

Canadian lynx

 

It is highly stylized & artist was constrained by the dimensions/proportions of the material. The face is conventional. This one is Zuni:



This is a different Zuni bobcat next to a reclining mountain lion. The 'mutton chop' whiskers & short tail are the standard attributes.



The stone allowed the carver to capture the stance.

 

Both Alaskan Eskimo....2nd is likely fossil Ivory..

 

The bear does have the tannin stain of something that has been in the ground. The other is quite yellowed but not brown that way, although quite heavy for size. Any feel for the age? Or too traditional to make much of them that way? Care to comment on quality or lack thereof?

 

after I've eaten.........OK ?

 

Of course. After all the courses. I'm just pleased to have your expertise, whenever it's offered.

 

Fossil Ivory. How nice.

 

Since the site where I found the musk ox shown above will do one free appraisal for you, decided to ask about the bobcat, giving the same info as here. Already got this reply:

Correct. Might be eskimo, but Bobcat is not a common image. Likely a $100-150 item. Best, Matt

Matt is Matt Wood, son of Len Wood, whose NA art gallery has a long history. I did not ask for a monetary appraisal, but there it is. Just checked my records; I paid $29 for it.

 

Unless you ask the carver where he got it..........

but to me that dark bear...nicely done , is a fossilized tusk.

the other...lacks sophisticated workmanship...but it's still cute !!
& even though it's a honey color the marbled dentine is very light and thus I think is a vintage 70's maybe 60's item.

 

So it is a Canadian Lynx as @Hollyblue suggested.

 

Love them, Bronwen.
I love the stylization, and I always love lynx and bears.
So 3x love.