Featured Hand Carved Seriously Old Oval Picture Frame; An Eagle in High Relief

It's 11¼" long x 8½" wide. I don't believe it's American, and judging from the exaggerated tails of the side birds it may even be Asian. The significance of the sunflowers, if that's what they are, is part of the puzzle. The curve was in the wood plank prior to carving; on the back, around the oval window, is a rectangular relief for the image and glass, and that relief is flat relative to the curved back.There's something about the posture of the Eagle that seems unusually stylized, to me at least. Every detail you see is carved...most of it is t-tiny. A few of them are broken, of course...but you have to look closely to find them. I would add more pics, but many of them are oversized files, unacceptable here.

All comments are most welcome...Thanks for looking! Warren

 

Any chance it's Australian and those are lyrebirds on the sides?

 

I think Australians would carve the characteristic curl at the ends of the two main tailfeathers. This carver is accomplished enough to be able to carve the long tailplumes of the lyrebird as well, imo.

 

I wonder if it is from Java, possibly Pasuruan. The cross-hatching on those large flower centres looks Javanese, as do the small berries.
The north coast of Java, where most Javanese furniture is made, has a strong Chinese/Peranakan influence, which could account for the phoenix-like birds.

 

Maybe @Shangas would have an opinion?

 

Do you know what the wood is?

When I see eagles and sunflowers I think of Mexico. They do have long-tailed birds there also such as the quetzal.

That said, I have no idea.

 

I don't know how much Shangas knows about Javanese furntiture, but you never know.

Agree, the eagle is more Mexican. In that position it even looks US.

 

That is lovely. Doesn't have the exuberance I'd expect of Latin American design but... sunflowers are native to México, the eagle is a Mexican symbol and the quetzal is found in México. All fits. Does look Frenchified to my eye though. Would make sense if it dated to the mid-1800s.

Debora

 

Not a hardwood...but I'm pretty clueless about wood in general. It weighs almost 8 oz, with two 4⅛" X 6½" pieces of card-stock in the window.

 

That rules out Java.
Do you know anyone who can identify the type of wood? The wood could be a clue to the origin.

 

Scissor tail fly catchers have a split tail. We have them here in Missouri but they migrate to Mexico and other places in central America.

 

I've just noticed there are mountain peaks carved behind the eagle.

Debora