Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Any Jewelry, post: 206016, member: 2844&quot;]Thanks for the detailed pictures. It is definitely from Benin.</p><p>When Benin art has a lot of figures of people and animals, it shows a person&#039;s status. The carvings on your piece (wonderful leopards!) allude to the court and kingship. Here is a short explanation of the symbolism on the site of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford:</p><p><a href="https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/benin" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/benin" rel="nofollow">https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/benin</a></p><p><br /></p><p>As for the &#039;smelly&#039; bone, best to keep it out of the rain and sunlight. Changes in moisture and temperature deteriorate bone. Here is advice on how to care for bone:</p><p><a href="http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1439925170216" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1439925170216" rel="nofollow">http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1439925170216</a></p><p>I have looked at photo&#039;s of different large skeletons, like elephant, giraffe, even whale, but they are all just as unlikely as camel. This is a mystery animal.</p><p>Cracks in bone are usually straight, they follow the length of the bone. There is a very irregular crack on this piece, could it be some kind of wood?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in