Ivory bust, someone famous?

Needs to be someone from the 1950s-60s because of the tie width and the shirt and coat collars.

Since you are in the UK, I looked up Prime ministers.
I think he looks more like

Sir Harold



FDR's shirt and coat collars are wrong.

 

Haha, I love George Raft!

 

the nose is wrong for Harold.........

 

and the hair and forehead is FDR's

 

I would say our subject is of the same era & has a lot of similarity but is not Roosevelt. R. has a squarer face; our guy's is more oval. R. combed the front of his hair to his right but also a little back; our guy combs his straight over. Roosevelt knots his tie differently; is that a Windsor knot?

@Ratsy Brown I'm saving some of your pix for use the next time we get into an 'is it ivory & is that a Schreger line' discussion. Such a great example.

 

I'm still struck by the fact that it's solid ivory. Having a bust made in it seems like such an old fashioned, & lavish, thing to do. The only thing I have at all like it dates to the 1830s. And Debora makes a good point about the likelihood of a private commission coming on to the secondary market, although they could have run out of heirs or passed the bust to someone averse to owning ivory. Its life story fascinates me.

 

Go @clutteredcloset49 go!!!!

 

Preparing for the next ivory battle?
My money is on you.

 

Fantastic carving, I love it

 

It is my vote

 

I have powerful allies.

 

I like Noel Coward, who wouldn't...best in full size.

 

FDR was my first thought and he has my vote.

 

Marty Feldman?

 

What hump?

 

Is it just me or does anyone else find it very unusual that the teeth are showing. I have seen many carved ivory statues over the years but never one with teeth.

 

No not at all.
Many older rosewood statues of Chinese Buddhas have ivory teeth showing.

I have a Chinese older woman with sewing basket, carved of ivory. Just checked, her mouth is open and teeth are showing.