Please Help ID African bone sculpture

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by Kefi, Dec 9, 2016.

  1. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    Hello
    I just bought this large bone piece that measures 50 cm tall. It is scultpted on two sides: perhaps a funerary stela. Can anybody tell me of what African ethnicity this sculpture and what animal is the bone: I thought it may be a scapula of a large mammal.
    Thank you for your help



    P1100976-.JPG P1100973-.JPG
     
    KingofThings likes this.
  2. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    Welcome!
     
    Kefi likes this.
  3. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    I'm thinking generic South African tourist item.
    Likely cow bone.
     
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  4. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    I do not think that it is a bone of cow that measures 50 cm of height, 20 cm of width and 6 cm of thickness.

    P1100339-.jpg
     
  5. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    so maybe elephant bone..or some other type of bone..
     
  6. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

  7. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    Well then, what type of bone do you think it is ?
     
  8. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    There are very few elephants in South Africa and this sculpture comes from West Africa. It is also not an item for tourists because for this type of item one does not use rare materials like elephant or mammoth bone.
     
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  9. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    I'd need to see the flat base of it, then I'll know.
     
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  10. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    Here are photos of the flat base with close-ups

    P1110381.JPG
    P1110382.JPG
    P1110383.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2016
  11. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    Hmmm, concave on one side, convex on the other, honeycomb polygonal marrow structure; those together being unmistakeable and unique characteristics the
     
  12. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    Thank you for your reply but it seems that it misses part of the sentence...

    Perhaps the convex and concave aspects are the result of the sculpture
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2016
  13. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    Yeah, I shoulda put (tbs)
     
  14. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    Which animals have bones with honeycomb polygonal marrow structure?
     
  15. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

  16. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    Indeed it could well be the scapula of a giraffe. I did not think about it. Thank you very much. Another question: do you think it is a fossil bone according to its structure?
     
  17. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    If fossil it would be stone-hard and probably shiny like flint, cold to touch, and it doesn't have that look to me. If you can scratch it easily and deeply with a knife it isn't fossilized.
     
    Kefi likes this.
  18. Kefi

    Kefi New Member

    I did the test: it is not fossil.
     
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