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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bronwen, post: 980399, member: 5833&quot;]The revival of the good/bad soapstone carvings thread reminded me that I promised/threatened to ask the community&#039;s insights and info on these 2 pieces.</p><p><br /></p><p>They were bought on eBay from a seller in Washington State who had bought out the contents of a store, which included a box of carvings.&nbsp; Not having any other info on them, he tentatively concluded they were Kwakiutl.&nbsp; Think we&#039;ve agreed that&#039;s not correct, and I assumed it was not at the time.</p><p><br /></p><p>I believe both are (fossil?) walrus tusk.&nbsp; I know this material finds its way to Zuni carvers, so no reason to assume it indicates an origin in a region where hunting walrus is traditional or where there is permafrost.&nbsp; Am I correct that only Native Americans/First Peoples are allowed to own legally raw tusks?&nbsp; Not that there is any guarantee there either, but it would argue for an NA origin.</p><p><br /></p><p>What I think of as the Butterscotch (the color is richer than photos pick up) Bobcat has been seen before.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]205353[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]205354[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]205355[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]205356[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]205357[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]205358[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Just about 2 inches, nose to rump, about 1.25 across the base.&nbsp; Very dense and heavy in the hand; cool, but not as cold as stone.</p><p><br /></p><p>The carver of the bear used the natural colors and textures to give him a lighter tummy, throat and muzzle.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]205359[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]205360[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]205361[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]205362[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>His overall length is about 2.25 inches, from tip of nose to heel of left hind paw.&nbsp; Like the bobcat, dense and heavy, polished to a high gloss.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think they are both special, but darned if I can get any handle on where, when &amp; by whom they were made.&nbsp; The floor is open.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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