Featured Odd little carving. What on earth or in ocean is it?

This came in a lot of small Asian object. Chinese and Japanese carving and other bits. What the heck is it!!!? Seems to be a natural material but not one that I’m familiar with. Strange (to me) structure. I don’t know why ambergris came to mind as something from an animal that I’ve never seen carved. Was trying to think of materials I’ve never seen that could be used. It’s very light weight, not dense at all. Only an inch or so high. I assume Chinese. I don’t know why I get the feeling it’s out of a gut or something weird I’ll be very interested to know what it actually is!

 

Does it smell at all?

 

Looks like wax to me.

 

Can’t say it does.

 

You’ve got a point there. Feels like it kind of. That inner structure made me think something else. Could be though. Maybe an old type of unrefined animal wax?

 

Bees wax maybe. I have a Christmas ornament of beeswax and it has turned darker yellow over the years.

 

Looking at some other examples it definitely resembles them in color and texture. That seems most likely so far. I keep getting tripped up on that hole in the bottom looking strange and exotic lol. After thinking about it I do realize how ridiculous that last sentence sounds.

 

It doesn't appear to be carved,possibly made with mitsuro hikime wax.

 

Ditto. Some info:
https://mitsurohikime.com/

 

Well that seems more likely than beeswax it now looks like. So you think it’s molded?