Etched Bone, Horn napkin ring?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by NewEngland, Oct 10, 2020.

  1. NewEngland

    NewEngland Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure if this is bone or antler/horn, or if it's Chinese or Japanese. I'm not even sure if it is a napkin ring. It has old dried glue along the top and bottom edges so it was probably attached to something else at one time. It's the right size for a napkin ring - 1.5" high, top oval measures 2" x 1 3/4". Any ideas of what this is and how old it is? Thanks!

    etchedbonenapkinholdera.JPG etchedbonnapkinholder.JPG etchedbonenapkinholderb.JPG etchedbonenapkinholderwriting.JPG etchedbonenapkinholderwritinga.JPG
     
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  2. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    could that be a bamboo....
     
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  3. NewEngland

    NewEngland Well-Known Member

    It has a lot of busy grain, almost like wood, but it feels more like bone.
     
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  4. antidiem

    antidiem Well-Known Member

    Oh no, I can see that's a bone!! :inpain::jawdrop:
     
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  5. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    That type of grain is not characteristic of bone. I would suspect bamboo. Can you see any pattern on the ends under magnification? Bamboo will show a dense assemblage of pores.
    Here is some bamboo flooring:
    [​IMG]
    And a piece of turned giant bamboo:
    [​IMG]
    https://www.wood-database.com/bamboo/
     
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  6. NewEngland

    NewEngland Well-Known Member

    No, there are no pores. It's not bamboo. One end is slightly thicker than the other which is very thin.
     
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  7. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    Weird. Bone would show some pores on the exterior decorated surface. I suppose it might be horn (cow, sheep, or such, not antler). I am puzzled by the striations visible on the interior.

    I also notice that there is a dot pattern in some of the margins of the design, similar to a transfer pattern on ceramics. Any chance it might be a synthetic material?
     
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  8. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    how about ivory? like a turned section of tusk ...could it be a box or a cup that came apart?
     
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  9. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    I've never seen ivory like that.........those wavy lines are a mystery....
    but they do go nicely with the mountain drawing..
     
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  10. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

    Last edited: Oct 11, 2020
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  11. NewEngland

    NewEngland Well-Known Member

    Thanks for all the comments. I'm pretty sure it's a napkin ring which originally had silver trim on each end, hence the remains of glue. It is either tusk or antler/bone. I don't have a UV light to test it for ivory.
    Just one of the many oddball items I picked up at a community yard sale this weekend. It was fun to get back out there hunting for unusual items. Wearing a mask, of course!
     
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