Signed figures with multiple faces. Inuit?

I hope someone can tell me what i have here.
These two are 2" tall.
Appear to be carved but ill leave that up to the experts.
Both are signed.
The faces are able to rotate inside the head with two faces on each.
That's all i know.

Mikey

 

Probably Chinese resin copies of Japanese netsuke.

A search for 'netsuke rolling face' seems to turn up the greatest number at once, all various figures.

 

Resin copies of originals maybe.... https://www.google.com/search?q=Net...kAhVLlKwKHfctAUAQ9QEwCXoECAAQFg#imgrc=_&vet=1

 

This one sold for $60. If bidders had believed auction house representation of pre-ban ivory, it would have exceeded estimate of $100 - 200.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-...ask-2-face-fan-dancer-signed-53-c-2e64007a07#

 

So resin not ivory.

 

Most likely. We'd need sharp closeups of plain surfaces on different sides to be absolutely certain, but the question of whether or not something is ivory comes up here regularly & we have returned the whole range of possible answers. By comparing photos in past listings & reading associated comments, you will probably be able to come to your own conclusions. Here are other threads you can check out:

https://www.antiquers.com/search/20615629/?q=schreger&o=date

 

I can't see any indication of ivory, bone or resin so you might be on to a winner there. As Bronwen said "we need sharp closeups of plain surfaces on different sides to be absolutely certain".

 

These little fellows seem to be cropping up rather often -- and they give me the creeps!

Sticks in weird places, revolving faces... Erk!

 

The one on the right might be a type of yokai (supernatural creature/demon) called an isoonna. It's a vampire-like thing that feeds on fishermen and travelers.

Show us the other faces.

 

They both have the vampire like face and a normal one.

 

Here

 

Are they too large to be tagua?

 

My vote is for resin. The antique ivory ones have smaller heads and look hand-carved, which these don't imo.
Do the holes in the back interconnect, can you pass a rope from one to the other?

 

I wonder if it's a combo -- cast (and relatively well cast), but finished by hand (with what looks like an electric engraver to me)?

 

Yes. A tagua nut is a good size to carve into an ojime, but you'd need a relatively huge one to carve something like these. You could use tagua for the revolving faces but I am not at all suggesting that was done. The Chinese have become as good with resin ivory as they are with making things look like ancient bronze.

 

That could be, but not a combo of hand carved natural material & cast resin. Something that way is done in the making of some contemporary 'lava' cameos: essentially molded, with hand applied finishing touches.

 

There's plenty of tagua netsuke online.

 

Yes, but. I couldn't spend much time researching this question, but if you are citing the many sales listings for tagua nut netsuke, not museums or netsuke specialty sites, I suspect the vast majority of them are like this one:

https://picclick.com/TN1410-2-Hand-Carved-Tagua-Nut-Netsuke-362655157883.html



This is an ojime, a toggle bead, another part of a sagemono. It is drilled with 1 hole top to bottom. Tagua nuts are the perfect size for making these. OP's figures are 2" tall; I have never seen anything carved from a single nut that was so large.

 

4.5 inch carving.............. https://picclick.com/tb-turt-5-Galapagos-Turtle-TAGUA-NUT-palm-figurine-Bali-392247907445.html