Photos of My Mystery Stuff

Object 8 is a "katabori" a Japanese Sumo Frog Netsuke, they where used to attach items to the obi (or sash) of the kimono
 
DannyinJapan said:
#15 - Incan airplane-trinket ?
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Very close -- it is a Pre-Columbian Shaman in Flight. Possibly ear ornament or pendant. Early country of Columbia --- Calima culture circa 200BC - 100AD
 
I'm going out on a limb, and say Object #1 is a tooth from a white tiger. The diameter (2 1/2") keeps me from saying Object #4 the skull was carved from the ball of a human femur (1 1/2" approx) so perhaps the head of a cow femur...or horse, or....?
 
Mongo-man said:
The #11 is a statue of Garuda. Half man/half bird. The bottom half of the statue has bird like features. But it has the Dorjé ( diamond scepter) (Vajra) and bell with it, making it a Buddhist version of Garuda. Used in Tibetan Buddhism and in Nepal (Vajrayana). Looks genuine, old , used in higher secret Tantric rituals of Vajrayana.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda


Object # 4 is a tibetan skull necklace. The attachment seems to been broke of the top of the skull. These ritual skulls where made from bone ( sometimes even human bone)
Tibetan monks started carving these centuries ago to remind us that life is temporal, and we must make the most of every day, and practice the right way of living always.
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Right on Mongo Man! # 11 is all of the above and is actually called a "Thogcha". Tibetans believe that these fell from the sky much like meteorites, but already formed. The first link is to a good friend's site, Bob Brundage, absolutely knows his Tibetan artifacts. Anne and I visited him and his wife Allyson in Petaluma CA recently. He was also exhibiting at the prestigeous Tribal Art and Textiles show in San Francisco.

http://www.artyeti.com/Ritual Objects.html
http://www.nondog.com/woven/thumbpage/thogcha.htm

AND right on again about the skull! It is carved from a human arm bone or humerus, possibly a leg bone or femur. My leg knee replacement surgeon says it is human. Big arm bone or small leg bone. You really know your Tibetan stuff!
 
Mongo-man said:
Object 8 is a "katabori" a Japanese Sumo Frog Netsuke, they where used to attach items to the obi (or sash) of the kimono
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Right again! You know your stuff!
 
jurassicnarc44 said:
I'm going out on a limb, and say Object #1 is a tooth from a white tiger. The diameter (2 1/2") keeps me from saying Object #4 the skull was carved from the ball of a human femur (1 1/2" approx) so perhaps the head of a cow femur...or horse, or....?
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It is a tiger tooth. Don't know what color tiger, but right you are again!

YVSA is also right about this!
 
Yvsa said:
Object one is a tooth that could be bear or one of the large cats, or maybe even a large wolf but I don't think so.
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Right on, YVSA, tiger tooth.

Yvsa said:
Object two almost looks like a dagger hilt from an old bronze weapon but I wouldn't swear to anything.
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Very close. Any experts in ancient Chinese weaponry here?

Yvsa said:
Object fourteen could almost be a very old stylized Venus.
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Close. It is a stylized owl

Yvsa said:
And object fifteen I have to disqualify myself on because I've seen it before and know what it is.
DIJ is somewhat close in a way but it ain't an airplane.;) :p ;)

Object four is a carved skull; looks like from bone or horn.
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The Thugees seemed to be a disreputable lot . At least that is how they are portrayed in literature from a British viewpoint . I find it interesting how religion will be used in politics and vice-versa . Hand in glove you might say or in this case coin in kerchief . L:O:L

I have to admit I am not too up on world religious symbols . I just find it interesting that it is claimed to all come from one source and yet there is such a diversity in human viewpoints and representation that it is sometimes hard to fathom .
 
Wow man. That's some cool stuff. Looks like you got a whole lot of neat little treasures.

So far everything that's been revealed, at least I was right about the country/region of origin. I don't know what some of these things were actually used for, but I can recognize the artistic style. Except for that carved skull. I thought that one was from the Americas.

I'm curious to know if there's a story behind how you got that south american gold piece. Gold is over $630 a troy ounce now (compared to $260 a couple years ago) so whatever it was worth then, it's worth a couple thousand more now. (not that you'd ever sell it or melt it down of course!)

A collector friend of mine dropped by work the other day to see how I was doing. I'd LOVE to just look around his house sometime at all the treasures he's collected. He collects anything fancy or made from good materials. Did you know that before he became President, Howard Taft was the Commisioner of the Philippines? And while there, he presented the Sultan with a pair of walking sticks? One was ebony with silver fittings, and the other was a solid piece of ivory, with lavish carving, gold, and precious stones. How do I know this? ;) ;)
 
the possum said:
I'm curious to know if there's a story behind how you got that south american gold piece. Gold is over $630 a troy ounce now (compared to $260 a couple years ago) so whatever it was worth then, it's worth a couple thousand more now. (not that you'd ever sell it or melt it down of course!)
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"possums" are some of my favorite critters! We used to do possum rescue and raise "joeys" whose mothers were killed. Usually by cars or dogs. Raised in capitvity they are very gentle and good natured. Like big silent cats. We had as many as four full-grown roaming our house at one time. They do use a litter box.

The Shaman in Flight has a short story. My wife and I were just beginning to collect tribal objects (mostly before this we collected weapons from all over the world).

We have an interest in Tibetan objects that goes 'way back. We found a Tibetan group here in Atlanta and went for a visit. I took several masks and some artifacts. We met a world reknown speaker named Glen Mullins and asked if he knew any tribal collectors in Atlanta. He gaveus the name of a guy who is very good at framing, particulalry Thangkas (Tibetan 'paintings').

We visited him and asked if he knew any tribal collectors. He mentioned a guy named Lew Deadmore who had been collecting for 35 years. He gave us Lew's phone number.

Going home I asked Anne to call Lew and see if he wanted to sell or trade anything. Anne was tired, but I insisted. She called and a woman answered. She told us that Lew had died three weeks previously and she was in town from New Mexico selling off his collection.

We went straight over and bought quite a few pieces. They were priced well and have great provenance. Mainly African pieces. Lew also collected Pre-Columbian (America pieces from 5,000 bc to 1492 ad).

I had avoided Pre-Clolumbian because there are so many fakes. However Lew had a very good eye and also knew the right people. One of his best freinds was a man named Steve Kramer. He is a world-class expert in PC.

We liked several pieces and since Steve had actually sold the Shaman to Lew, the provenance was impeccable and the price was about 60% of what Lew had paid several years before.

It was one of those great times of being in the right place at the right time and having just closed a big deal, we had some money.

Here are a couple of other PC pieces we bought. The "fragment" is about 450AD and was $600. The terracotta shaman (actullally a whistle) was only $450 (250AD). Very good prices. The Shaman and the "Owl" stone were considerably more.

Below are the two Terracotta figures. From Vera Cruz region of Mexico. BTW there were hundreds of PC cultures along with Mayan, Toltec, Aztec and Incan.

Also have to post a few possum pix. Here is Anne's mother with Awesome and Blossum. Also a picture of Blossum trying to get on Anne's head.

When they were very small, Awesome and Blossum used to cling to Anne's hair for sometimes as long as eight hours at a time while Anne did housework and whatever. Blossum at 15 pounds got a little too big!
 
Mike L. said:
I think object #14 is from the Toltec culture.

Mike L.
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Danny-in-Japan called it close. It is a Pre-Columbian Shaman in Flight. Possibly ear ornament or pendant. From the Columbia -- Calima culture circa 200BC - 100AD
 
.
#10 - I think is a snuff spoon

& apparently the whole 'fob'/'pendant' is meant to hang from something

But I'm perplexed by the design (military?,
but the 'hanger' style
doesn't seem to match the 'dot' pattern down the length)

and the hinge perplexes me,
unless somehow 'access' related.

???...........?

:cool: :cool: :cool:

<:)> THEY call me 'Dean' <>
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<:eek:> Caution: Not all ideas vented from this brain are entirely based on empirical data. JMO-M2C-fWiW-iIRC-YMMV-fYI-TiA-YW-GL
<:D> Noobee <> Tips <> Baha'i Prayers Links --A--T--H--D
 
ddean said:
.
#10 - I think is a snuff spoon

& apparently the whole 'fob'/'pendant' is meant to hang from something

But I'm perplexed by the design (military?,
but the 'hanger' style
doesn't seem to match the 'dot' pattern down the length)

and the hinge perplexes me,
unless somehow 'access' related.

???...........?

:cool: :cool: :cool:
Click to expand...
I did not catch that was a hinge . Proabably cause snuff would make me come unhinged . I thought it was an inscense spoon .
 
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