Featured Bali bone carving - Rangda

I am hoping you folks might be able to give me some advice on this piece. I have found a couple of other examples online (neither identical, but very close). Both were described as being from early 20th century I believe. Both had been sold but no price info was available (they were not ebay sales). I have no idea what the value might be, especially considering there is some damage in the head area. It stands about 5.25" high. It is kind of mesmerizing to look at, but the more I look the less I feel sure I might have something here :O) What do you guys and gals think???

 

Really nice & detailed.
I'm having trouble telling if it's bone or ivory...??
It does indeed look old......but age can be manufactured...

A little out of my purview.

This is not really a site for determining values , but someone may come along with a guesstimate or opinion..

 

Thanks for your input komokwa. From what I have read, cow bones and deer antlers are commonly used materials for carving in Bali, so that is my best guess.

 

Welcome to the forum, Wenna!

It looks like bone to me, but I'm not an expert. I like the carving!

 

Yes the base does look like bone.
But those long straight cracks are throwing me off..

 

Looks to have been soaked in tea to age it-that's why bottom is darker-more porous absorbs more tea stain. IMO value well under $100. Don't know exactly what u had in mind doing so hard to give info that's useful.

 

Thanks all for taking a peek. I don't know enough about this sort of piece to make a judgement whether it is worth further investigation, but you did confirm my gut feeling.

 

This is right in your alley, @Any Jewelry

 

It is bone, probably mid-century. It is of a nice quality, well-made. And you're right, Rangda.
Balinese carvings that don't serve a specific Balinese purpose, but are purely decorative, usually date from the age of tourism.
This was carved as a side-line by someone who also carved keris hilts and handles for betel crushers.

 

Tea-stained is also a good suggestion; many carvings from Bali, intended for export to the bead trade for example, are described in the catalogs as "tea-stained."
Some offer the buyer a choice of natural bone color, nearly white, or tea-stained, varying from light to dark brown depending on length of time in the tea, and type of tea used. I've even tried soaking a white one in tea; as an experiment, taking one of the white ones from a batch I bought, and putting it in tea to see what color it turned. The process gives a very attractive color.
Yours is a very nice carving, in my opinion; much better than the little baubles I experimented on.