I was wondering if anybody had thoughts on this piece

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by desperate_fun, Oct 31, 2014.

  1. desperate_fun

    desperate_fun Irregular Member

    @Taupou @all_fakes @komokwa

    I have been looking at getting a dip pen and I came across this scrimshawed piece. The person who has it bought it in MA. but believes it is possibly Northwest Coast in origin. I was hoping someone might recognize it and could possibly shed some light on it for me.

    I really appreciate any info you guys/gals could offer

    pen1.JPG pen2.JPG pen3.JPG pen4.JPG
     
  2. all_fakes

    all_fakes Well-Known Member

    The pen-holder is not NW Coast, but from the Middle East.
    The pen is typical of many sold in Alaska, I'd guess 1920-1950, could be anywhere in there. It does seem like it might be ivory, but it doesn't actually show any familiarity with genuine Northwest Coast Native forms.
    In response to the demand for native items, many shops sold such things; they often were not native made, and might be imported from China or Japan, and might be made of plastic.
    But whatever the origin, this pen doesn't show well-made native forms, but souvenir-quality work, in my opinion.
    We'll see if others can add anything, or have contrary opinions.....
     
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  3. desperate_fun

    desperate_fun Irregular Member

    Steve,

    Thanks for that info. The seller actually mentioned Alaska as a possibility (I don't know why I said NW Coast, although technically LOL)
     
  4. spirit-of-shiloh

    spirit-of-shiloh Well-Known Member

    The wooden object looks like many round discs and trivits I have from India.
     
  5. all_fakes

    all_fakes Well-Known Member

    Yes, Shiloh. My parents had a number of items like that, trivets, and boxes, I imagine I still have some. They traveled through India and the Middle East, and found these in a number of places, around 1958. I was with them, but at age 11, what did I know....I seem to recall them being called "shesham-wood boxes."
    Yes, indeed...and google agrees, India.
    http://www.transworldhandicrafts.com/sheesham-wood-boxes-6869.html
     
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  6. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    There's nothing about this pen's design that suggests it's from North America.

    BTW...Southern Alaska....home of the Tlingit & Kaigani Haida is a major part of the Northwest Coast 1st Nations .....south of Yakutat bay.

    How half the coastline of British Columbia is not in Canada is still a mystery to me !
     
  7. desperate_fun

    desperate_fun Irregular Member

    Thank you everybody for your input. At a $70.00 price tag I guess it isn't worth it. I have a few other pens on my watch list so I'm not in a rush to impulse buy :)
     
  8. spirit-of-shiloh

    spirit-of-shiloh Well-Known Member

    All_fakes, for awhile I bought a lot of inlaid wooden objects made in India. Although some my think it kitch, I do like some of the items that come out of India, even their brass vases and such.;)
     
  9. Bev aka thelmasstuff

    Bev aka thelmasstuff Colored pencil artist extraordinaire ;)

    I still have a set of those wooden coasters and two boxes - one large and one small - that match.
     
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