Carved black box of unknown origin and age ...

This black, wooden (ebony ?) box carved with a king ? and crocodiles measures 8 cm X 19 cm X 12 cm.

I haven't found anyone like it on the Internet.

Maybe you can tell where it was made and when ?

If you can, this photo will be sufficient.

 

Latin America somewhere.

Debora

 

I suspect a modern Indonesian origin, with motifs based on traditional imagery such as Batak lizards -

https://www.dawsonsauctions.co.uk/a...-toba-batak-sumatra-indonesia/?lot=37303&sd=1

And human figures such as these on a Sumba ikat textile -

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/large-indonesian-woven-ikat-textile-30-c-5f0480894b

One photo is not sufficient to confirm age and origin. The bottom and interior may reveal wear and other signs of the age of the wood, whether it is a dark wood or stained, and whether fittings such as hinges (if any) are old or recent. Views of the other sides may show other motifs that could be helpful in identification.

Do you have this box in hand, or is it something you are considering buying and only one photo is available on the listing?

 

I agree, Indonesian, and fairly modern.

 

I'm no expert on Indonesian, but it's definitely vintage 2023 or close enough.

 

Thanks for the replies. I bought the box at the local thrift store for the equivalent of USD 9. Indonesian ? You can find several black, carved, Indonesian boxes on the Internet, but none with this decoration, which I believe is the key to unlock the mystery. Here a more photos.

 

Thank you for the additional photos. In the future, it would be more helpful to post separate photos of the different views, so they are less blurry when enlarged to see details. A straight on view of the design on the top would also make it easier to try to do an image search for comparisons.

I do not see anything that changes my first impressions. But perhaps @Any Jewelry might be able to say more.

 

All I can say is that it looks like the boxes and cabinets that were sold in Indonesian souvenir and decor shops overhere in the 1990s. I believe most of those were made in Bali and Lombok for the tourist trade and export. They were a mishmash of styles and made up 'tribal' designs to appeal to the Western idea of the exotic.

Maybe a clue for next time, genuine Indonesian tribal boxes don't have such a Western shape with bevelled overlapping lid and bottom.