Featured Lidded Bowl made from a rock.

I got a rock! Hi all, I was given this bowl because of the damage, the previous owner did not want it. Extremely heavy, very rounded bottom, primitive carvings, looks like it has been in a fire pit or two. Looks like they were in a hurry to finish the inside of the lid, lol.

Don’t think it’s a tourist piece, but guess it could be possible. Can this be Identified? New or not. I can’t imagine someone carving out the inside of a stone when pottery has been around forever. Any and all thoughts appreciated. Thanks

Oh yeah, 7.75” wide and tall too

 

Looks like quartzite and many objects have been made with it for centuries.... bowls,statues,axe heads,etc..............................

 

Mmarco, you rock!
I like the beasty on the lid.
It has an African vibe to me, but I could be totally wrong. Maybe @2manybooks knows?

 

Woot woot...

“&” You sure know how to roll

Thank you for your input AJ would that be a Foo Beasty? (joking)

 

No, but maybe an African panther, like on Ashanti bronzes? Others will know more about it. Or our intrepid forum hunter @i need help will find a similar one.

 

If it is indeed stone, I'd imagine soapstone would be a good thing to research. It's been used for ages.

 

Looks like the stone on this page, and yes SIS, seems to have been a common rock of choice for cooking, thank you.

https://geology.com/rocks/soapstone.shtml


Seeing that the bottom is so thick and round, does that indicate it was designed to be placed into a fire as opposed to being on a cooktop? Can not see it on a flat surface, but if made to be used in a fire, I would think they need an extended handle on the bowl to remove. Of course, unless it is just a newer decoration piece.

 

Got it

 

I agree with AJ that it looks African, but I have not seen anything like it before. So must do some research.
I would assume it is soapstone (which is relatively easy to carve).

 

Appreciate any info you can come up with, if you could provide some searchable terms, I can dig into this as well.

The handles seem to have heads(skeletal?). If you need more images, just direct me.

*gone panther hunting *

 

One photo looks like the broken area if fibrous and the other photo looks crystalline.Easy way to test is try to scratch the broken edge with your fingernail.

 

Scratch resulted in a scuff. Here is the best image I can take that looks like what I see in person. Crystalline.

 

Absolutely,

 

From your photo the texture looks consistent with the soapstone bowl fragments found where I live. The thing I've always found interesting is the feel of it, truly like soap or something slightly greasy.

I'm not suggesting that it is from where I live as is doesn't resemble anything I've seen. It's just I'm most familiar with soapstone/steatite around here.

 

You won't be able to tell much from feeling the exterior surface,the photos show a number of incised lines on the top and side filled with another substance than what the bowl is made of.

 

Looks like a sea lion on top?

 

I’m kind of seeing a lizard smirking at me.


At least its not a pig...

 

Maybe a chameleon?


Probably not, they would have carved a curled tail as well.
He has taken on the same colour as his surroundings.

 

As long as we're just guessing, I see an otter. Unless it's something else of course