Featured Three Miniature Pots - Two Mystery

These three miniature pots were from the same donation, but I don't think they are from the same place. One was easy - the Native American Pot was thrown and painted by Kimo DeCora of the Isleta Pueblo Potters. It is 1 1/2" tall, beautifully painted and signed at the bottom.

The two dark brown ones are a complete mystery to me. They are:

• smaller - 1 1/4 inch tall
• heavier 1 1/2 ounce each
• appear to be carved out on the inside
• have lines across the grain
• coated with some brown substance that has glopped at the bottom in one case
• not symmetrical - one is definitely more oblong than round.

At first, I thought bone, but they are much heavier than one would expect from bone. Any ideas appreciated.

 

They might be pots from Chulucanas, Peru.

 

OMG, Kimo is my husband's first cousin!
We have several of his pieces! Small world!

 

the black ones look to be stone , from here !

 

I see what you mean with respect to color and style.

 

Small world indeed. I immediately grabbed this little pot up, as I could see it was exceptional. What a beautiful hand your husband's first cousin* has.
*corrected per @stracci's post.

 

I didn't think of stone. I'll have to examine them for stone qualities. Thanks for the lead.

 

His tiny pots are exceptional!
Kimo is my husband's first cousin.
My husband's mom and Kimo's mom were sisters.

 

Sorry. Eating breakfast while posting. I meant husband's first cousin.

 

Maybe dyed soapstone?

 

The insides don’t feel like soapstone, though they have been roughly hollowed out so it’s hard to tell. I know soapstone and these feel like wood to me in the inside.

 

can we consider the design to be a loose yin yang...?
is it inset or painted on?

u said heavy.......how heavy?
wood heavy?

 

I also had the soapstone thought; maybe from Africa; soapstone there does not have the same feel as the soapstone I am more used to. Compare this, described as hand-carved soapstone vase from Kenya:

 

looks like the bases are fitted on and buffed..

 

Each tiny pot is approximately 1 1/2 ounce in weight. They feel much heavier than the similar miniature pottery pot that I posted. They are definitely wood or stone heavy.

They are not inset. I think they have been painted on (see photo.)

 

I see what you are saying. There is a nicked out spot in one (see photo), which feels very much like wood fiber not stone. The white areas are applied on top not cut in.

 

Good spotting. You're right about that!