Featured Double walrus pen holder, carved Ivory...........

is it as old as I think it is ?
Antique.....with that leaked ink , I bet they were made for fountain pens....with non standard drill holes....likely hand drillerd...

6 1/4 x 3 x 1 1/2 inches.......it's a handful...
Inuit or Eskimo ?
Are they cute or not ??

 

They are cute!!

 

Adorable.

 

That's a big ink stain on the bottom; it's enough to make you wonder. Something leaked all over it, but fountain pens are generally stored vertically to prevent just that. A dip pen would do it early and often.

 

Pre WWII?

 

Got me; I know jack about Native ivory pieces, especially walrus.

 

Ah, now I see what it is. Very interesting piece.

 

thank you all...so far !

 

My understanding is that ballpoint pens became universally available around WWII and fountain pens stopped leaking around WWI.

 

That is so cool ! I wonder if its original purpose was more utilitarian,like to make nets or a hole puncher for leather or the like.

 

So, early 20th century? Super cool ivory piece, and no doubt a bit out of my $ ballpark.....

 

Nice piece. I’m guessing maybe Alaskan and circa 40’s or 50’s.

 

but they don't go all the way thru...in the same diameter .... eh..huh !!!!

 

Did it come with the rock or did you add it? It looks like a shark fin.

 

it's an old Taino Celt ....or so I was led to believe by an Oceanic art dealer..

it just found a home there.
If I had it just laying about..... to the untrained eye...it's just a rock !
Sometimes , old artifacts.....undescribed....or undocumented.... just look like rocks....but to have it in your hand.....you can feel that it didn't just wash up on the shore.
So keeping it insight, where I can show it and play with it ...is a good idea.

 

First, 'you lucky dog, you.' Nice piece.

Next, I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm thinking possibly early 20th C. The walrii (walrussians??) do have an Inuit feel, but the underside seems to me like a fine incised pinnate leaf design with a tassel tip, and that's curious. and the flippers are kept simple too. So it almost has a 'sailor scrimshaw' feel to it too. As well as the utilitarian nature... so I'm thinking earlier than later.

But I can't make up my mind b/c of the overall style and would not put it in the 'sailor' scrimshaw camp at all... more like catering to visitors.

Found this modern artist with similar style, so it might show some stylistic continuity from earlier generation carvers.