Scrimshaw? pendant necklace

This could be a Franken-piece(LOL) put together by a jewelry maker in the 70's, who was just being creative. Who knows ?
I live in the Southwest, and NA doesnt mean it has to be a fabulous signed piece by any means. Most NA jewelry makers work out of their homes and some churn out lots of cheesy stuff just to make a buck. The really great NA jewelers do awesome quality pieces and sign their work.
This thing just has a Native vibe to me, IMO.

 

I can see the NA look, and jewelry makers were often trying for that effect, but personally, would just have serious doubts that it's actually an NA piece - more likely, as you suggest, made by some hippie (and we were all over, Hawaii a nice warm place to hang out). Don't believe tigertail had been around very long when I bought it back then, we bought it by the foot off large reels, the use of crimp-beads had to be explained, and no special crimping pliers were available.

I do like the piece, though...

~Cheryl

 

I had not thought of NA when I bought it. Were you saying Hawaiian is NA?

 

No, the center of antler is spongy, as can be seen on the back of the pendant. I did notice that some of the cracks seem to be continuous, but I think that is just a coincidence. You do not get that smooth a surface in the middle of antler.

 

So the silver is to hide the seam between the two pieces. I agree the center looks more like bone or ivory. I hope it's not Ivory..

 

Given that it's set in antler, seems more likely to me that the inset would also be antler...

https://schoonerchandlery.com/shop/...er-cream-w-black-ink-1970s-monet-chain-added/

~Cheryl

 

Thanks, Mikey. They look like red glass to me. To be sure you can test one by putting a drop of lemon juice on it. If you see bubbles appear, it is likely to be coral, if they don't it is glass.
The silvertone beads and clasp are base metal.

It looks like a 'surfer' necklace to me. They often have those shell discs, which are a bit like heishi beads, but are actually based on Hawaiian jewellery. Many have glass beads too, and marine or maritime themed pendants. They often have hook clasps, which are used all over the world. You can find them in any surf shop or in souvenir shops in coastal towns or resorts.
I think the Hawaii story is very plausible.

 

Are those schreger lines (in the area that I've circled), in that "antler slice"?

 

Yup! looks like ivory to me......

 

I don't think it's NA. I think it's a fantasy piece. None of the parts gel into an attractive whole, in my opinion only.

 

Not to my eye - looks to me like an antler slice with either some natural fine lines or cracks, or perhaps even saw or file marks not completely polished out (though they don't seem even enough for that) - here are a couple of scrimshawed antler burrs, so clearly not ivory, with some similar marks around the edges:










Full view of the front and back of item in question:







Here are some new, unpolished antler slices, cut straight rather than at a slight angle like the one above:








~Cheryl

 

I have been struggling with why there would be antler jewelry in Hawaii.

Apparently Axis deer were smuggled into Hawaii and are considered an invasive species.

 

Yes we saw the Axis deer on the side of the road there. I don't know about harvesting their antlers, but there is plenty of scrimshaw in Maui. Ivory, bone, fossilized material, etc.
However, I think most of the scrimshaw shops may have closed in Lahaina in the past few years.

 

Yes scrimshaw can be done on many materials.

My point was - this is an antler necklace with shells. Back in the 70s, why would they be selling antler jewelry in Hawaii as it wouldn't have been native. Particularly if this was sold as a souvenir piece.
I didn't think to look to see when deer were introduced to Hawaii.

 

Hmm seems other deer species was a gift in the 1860s from Japan to King Kamahamaha(sp). Also considered a nuisance, because they eat the crops.

 

Sorry to be so late; interesting piece. Me thinks, perhaps, the pendant is caribou antler, the heishi, Nautilus (hard to find in the 70s, but it's better than most of the flat white-colored shell), the beads Japanese, and the piece made by some guy who was into black powder mountain man reenactment. Ta-da! LOL

 

Love this! Good answer. You forgot to mention that the mountain man comes down for the Rendezvous and then flies out to Hawaii to catch some waves......

 

Wow thank you all very much. i think i got my money back just reading this thread.

 

Wouldn't a mountain man create a covered wagon, or a Grizzly, rather than a ship?

 

I think stracci meant whaler or fisherman lol