Horrible looking stone African? figure

Close-ups:

Good questions CheersDears! Answers:

• size cowri: 14 to 18 mm. Small but on beaches i have seen them many times in that size
• eyes: i think the cowri shells have been pushed into the wet clay, and after that closed up around the shells. (as someone suggested before). And fired in the kiln after that (can cowri shells stand that heat?)
  
• material: see pic of chip. Defenitely no wood. Maybe more grainy than porous and heavy. so not vulcanic stone with air bubbles. I do think clay now. If it is clay definitely fired, can't dent it with my nails. (not around the eyes either!)
  
• shoes?: see pic of one foot upper guy. not worked out anyway. side view of feet doesn't show toes (in real life anyway)
• clothes: you might be right there. Some kind of cuffs (or bracelets?) around wrists of both guys. On backside also a line forhat could be underside shirt. Upper person has a very well defined butt crack however
  
• hands: picture is of clasped hands of lower guy
• last picture: Only now i noticed the lower man is seated on his knees! No shoes or toes, or feet for that matter!, indicated.

 

• The Bamun clay pipe head above also seems to have these cuffs/bracelets. But around the ankles!
• On that one the toes of the upper guy ARE very well defined.
• My bottom guy also sits on a base like on the pipe head.

 

From some archaeology projects I've been on where material isn't readily obvious you could try these tricks to see if it helps.

Sometimes you lightly tap an object on your tooth (though with these big items that would be a very, very, very light touch) because a stone usually sounds like a stone.

Pottery, especially low fired, when a broken edge is touched to your tongue will "stick" or show some suction. (not porcelain or high fired stoneware though)

 

Thnx. Sounds like, and tastes like pottery.
(And my teeth are still fine )