Two Small Old Ebony Figures

Hey guys, what dyou think of these two?

They looked very patinated, super smooth in places. The base is later on the mounted one. I thought they were made of Ebony because they are so dark but I’m no expert.

I’ll be well interested in buying them with some more info, I’d love some real tribal art in my room.

What dyou think they are? Thanks for any help anyone

Only photos I managed to get I always wish I’d taken more afterwards

 

I am gong to say Ebony wood as well.
I am no expert on judging origin , but I am not seeing a connection to any particular tribe.

 

the black one gives off an ebony vibe...the 1st on though..i think not...and is no more than a tourist carving...

 

The first one is a Goddess from rural India, and looks to have age. It is not ebony, but a local wood.
I can't see any details of the second one, the picture looks blurry to me.

 

I’ll send better photos of them. Got them for £40. Must be something about them I suppose

 

the 2nd one looks to be older.......from what I can see..

 

Are tribal art figure and the club like items super shiny because of handling.
They both look kind of shiny but yeh the patina on the second one is super rubbed

 

These are the images provided by the auction house if they’re any better

 

Does this help a bit?? Second one was pretty blurry to begin with...

 

*druuummrooll*

I got the clearer photos. Haha. But I don’t think they help too much with ID I’ll have to root around a bit.

 

Very nice, Nathan. It looks like the first, worn one is also from India. They are both antique, the first one looks like it was handled over many centuries.
There was a forum member who might know more about it, but he was only around for a very short time. I'll tag him anyway, maybe @Benhard Grimes will be able to help.

 

Hope so, I emailed somebody who said they knew about tribal art and they said they don’t recognise them but I bet somebody will eventually

 

Someone who knows about tribal art wouldn't know these, because they are not tribal. They are from rural India, not from tribal India. Very few Indians are tribal.
Here is something on tribal India, bear in mind that the tribal groups are always small, whereas "mainstream" India has cities with millions of inhabitants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_tribal_belt

 

I didn’t know that tribal art had to be a tribe. Should these be called Rural Indian Carved Figures then and not tribal art

 

Just call them antique Indian carved figures. If you sell to the US, it is best to call them antique carved figures from India, to prevent them being mistaken for Native American.
Yes, tribal art is only art art made by tribespeople, members of a tribe.
If its is not European or European derived and not tribal, you can always call it ethnographic art, that is what it is called in most non-English speaking countries. Of course ethnographic could apply to Western art as well, but this is the general consensus.
Complicated isn't it.

 

Haha indeed. I’d go with ethnographica, I should have remembered that as the umbrella term.

 

That was my impression of the exceptionally smooth patina also.

 

Beautiful isn't it, you'd buy it just for the patina.

 

Yeh I’m just going to use it as a stress reliever