Featured Chinese Carving with Signature

Hi,
I was at a viewing today and saw this fellow. He is about 12"H, has a mark/signature on the back.
I wondered about Ivory but just not sure - no Schragher lines or cross hatching that I could see, he has a smooth/wax feel about him (but isn't made of wax), no bubbles like resin would have so I'm not sure what else it would be.
Sorry for the photos.
Any information appreciated
thanks for looking

 

It's probably bone.

I don't think it's a signature, it's probably some sort of manufacturing mark.

 

bone...of some sort...

 

If you look close, you can see all the dots and specks and lines on the body of the statue. They're the marrow-specks or marrow-lines, where the connective tissue attached to the bone and such. It's one way to tell the difference between ivory and bone, apart from the colour.

 

It is resin. There are little blobs and even bubble dimples in places.
In Chinese carving, whether bone or ivory, the part between the moustache and the neck would be pierced, here it is one solid piece on both sides.
And there are no hairlines and dark dots from tiny bloodvessels, like there would be in most bone carvings (not all).
Blobs front:

And back:

Strands of hair should be carved in continuous lines, these are not carved but cast:

 

They might be Italian, yes.
I have seen Italian vintage composite ivory statues such as this one, which are excellent representations of the Asian figurines, they replicate the color, long slim forms, details very well.
I was shocked when I saw a pair, as tall as this one, with a label underneath that read "MADE IN ITALY". Goes to show, you never know......lol

 

Interesting point, toomany.
The Italians used to be the best fakers in Europe. They could copy any style. Later on the Greeks took first place. They never reached the quality of the Italians, but made up for that in high production.
This isn't really a fake of course, more like a representation, not intending to deceive.

 

Thanks for all the replies folks
I thought it wouldn't be resin as there are no air bubbles, I never thought about blobs. Always something new to learn, thanks AJ!
Funny you mention Italy Toomany, as it does look like pieces done by Santini, but their pieces are always marked.

 

For me it's a collector's lesson: 'the more you think you know, the less you eventually find out you know'. Keeps you humble and receptive to new and unexpected information, which is crucial if you want to keep learning. I found the best experts have this attitude.

Here is a link to 3 of them by Giannelli on Etsy. Not the pair, I was talking about on another collector site, similar to the figure posted here, those are gone.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/540048975/vintage-1980s-a-giannelli-signed-chinese?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=faux ivory figurine italy&ref=sr_gallery_2

These tall figurines are not identified but the detail is amazing.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/205...ry=faux ivory figurine italy&ref=sr_gallery_6

 

The signature looks like it could be S O, angular to make it look more Chinese.

 

I wasn't looking close enough.....& I think my eyesight is starting to fail.

 

Happens to all of us at times. I am very good at not looking too closely.

 

ditto.... LOL

 

Always good to excel at something.

 

That's the point, as my mother used to tell me....

 

You're your own person now, you can excel at something silly if you want to. A liberating feeling, right?

 

HUM.... I always was my own person... even at 3 years old....LOL
I did learn to pick my battles, and wait till I grew up for most of them. Even then, I disagreed with my mother, from a good distance away.
You are making me laugh again. Good for the soul.

 

I have the same makers carving but its different and when i did the hot pin test it did not burn . Google says its how to test if bone or ivory ..

 

I purchased a peice w the same signature .. in a yard sale in arizona .. the lady i purchased it from was in her 60s she had 3 oriental peices 1 geisha n two statues .. said her father who now had passed brought them from overseas from the war ... so after doing the google suggested burning hot pin test .. [bone will burn ] ivory wont. .. it did not burn ... this is the only other peice i have found in a year of searching ... which leads me to believe it is an ivory carving .. when and where was the veiwing do u remember ?

 

Google is not your friend
Here...we refute the hot pin test as unreliable , and a danger to the value of a good item.
A couple of clear close ups of your item...will almost certainly reveal it's true nature.