Ivory Carvings - Souvenirs of a WWII Navy Man

[UnderMiner]

Never thought I would ever find anything like this. This is from the same trash hoard that netted me that 1930's Italian accordion. And there's still more junk to sort through!
I've concluded all this stuff once belonged to a WWII serviceman as I've been finding countless images and documents from that time period. This man served in the US Navy in the Pacific. According to his high school yearbook he graduated from Brooklyn Technical class of 1938 and was good friends with George R. Caron, the man who would eventually become the tail gunner of the Enola Gay (and photographer of the famous Hiroshima explosion).

Anyway I will post all the paper notes and details in the General Discussion Forum later, but right now I have to show you these amazing treasures. I assume these were brought back by the sailor after the war.

This artifact is an "Ivory Village Carving" it is made from a Hippo Tusk. It has an ebony base and is very intricate. According to online auction sites these sell for between $300-$500. For example: CHINESE CARVED HIPPO TOOTH IVORY VILLAGE SCENE : Lot 57358







This is my favorite find, these are a pair of carved ivory dragon vases. Edit (7:44am): I've just confirmed these to be made from genuine Elephant Ivory as made apparent from the presence of "Schreger Lines" in the material which are only found in the tusks of Elephants. It has sure been fun learning about Ivory today. As a result of this new revelation I now estimate these to be worth at least $800-$1200 for the set. Exact value is hard to tell as this is a one of a kind piece, but I've seen a very similar set of smaller less intricate vases sell for $695. Link: http://www.busaccagallery.com/catalog.php?itemid=1241 I think I will sell this set at auction.




More interesting than the ivory artifacts I think is the information about the man who once owned them. I'm still compiling the info but so far I have this to share. This is a picture of the navy man and his friends. I'll post more details of this sailor and his life in the General Discussion forum later. From my research he died in the mid 1970's. It would have been interesting to talk with him, especially about his connection with George Caron.

 

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[Roadrunner007]

Good piece of Treasure

 

[TwoYewts]

I'm amazed that someone would have thrown those ivory pieces to the curb. Great find on your part!

 

[frostdigger]

Awesome pieces, it blows me away someone would just throw them out, nice save. I'm not sure but I thinking they have really crack down on the ivory trade, might check into it before you try to sell them.

 

[UnderMiner]

Awesome pieces, it blows me away someone would just throw them out, nice save. I'm not sure but I thinking they have really crack down on the ivory trade, might check into it before you try to sell them.

I checked into it. Only the new stuff is forbidden. This piece was clearly made before the Ivory ban.The law states as follows:
"Items consisting of African-elephant ivory that are already in the United States can be sold within the country or exported only if:
The ivory was harvested prior to 1976; OR
It was imported prior to 1976, before relevant CITES regulations had been enacted."
This is part of the reason why these Ivory vases are so expensive, becasue they meet the criteria to be bought and sold legally. Any Ivory carvings from modern times (after 1976 for African Elephant Ivory, after 1982 for Asian Elephant Ivory) Possession, sale, etc. is extremely illegal - which again is why the old stuff is so in demand and expensive nowadays. I feel bad for the elephants of the past that were harvested just for this stuff , honestly I don't see what people thought was so special about it, then again it has a look and feel to it that's quite interesting. It is extremely dense and has a buttery feel to it.

 

[dansalata]

awesome finds congrats!!!

 

[huntsman53]

UnderMiner,

Congrats on some great saves and finds! Also, thanks for adding the history and stories to many of the items that you find as they are very informational and a joy to read!


Frank

 

[g-olden years]

The combination of saving from the trash much information about the WWII Navy man plus these intricate carvings is wonderful. Looking forward to seeing more info on the man in general discussion forum later on. Like you, I'm sad that elephants and hippos lost their lives for this form of artwork, just as many animal species have suffered horrendously from the greed of people. Many animal species including some types of tigers will almost surely become extinct within the next fifty years. The little sea otters on our California coast are still in dangerously low numbers due to previously being over-harvested for their fur. But what's done is past, and it's very positive to rescue these treasures from the trash and put them on display or sell them. Looking forward to seeing more surprises from your big haul too! Andi

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

You know what is sad is it was probably a family member throwing everything out after he passed and they are doing their duty.Not even realizing these were his worldly possessions that showed his life's accomplishments and where he had been at those times of his life.

 

[dustyspurs]

Beautiful.

 

[Slingshot]

Very nice find & save! Historical and has value, probably more since it has some of the background story along with the pieces. I've found some nice stuff thrown out on the curb, but nothing that nice. I know of a guy in Atlanta about 25 years ago who was dumpster diving in some apartments and found 2 Japanese WWII Samurai swords. One was worth about $80, the other was rare and worth $40,000. The newspaper got wind of it and sent a reporter out to follow up on the story. He discovered the guys widow had tossed them shortly after his death because she didn't want that old war junk in the apartment. Lot of lessons here, congratulations on your find! Cheers!!

 

[UnderMiner]

He discovered the guys widow had tossed them shortly after his death because she didn't want that old war junk in the apartment.

And just imagine what is actually saved from the trash is only the tip of the iceberg. Hard to fathom the amount of treasure disposed of on a daily basis.

 

[PeteWmass]

its the same with me here - tip of the iceberg - there are so many dumpsters that are too far from the road for me to feel comfortable jumping in (especially when they tuck it behind the house) -dumpsters I find but are totally full and I can't get very deep into - dumpsters where someone pissy shows up and chases me off - and all the ones Im sure I miss - because I only drive around certain roads in my town on a regular basis - then there is the stuff mixed in with regular trash out at the curb - and this is just my town - they are cleaning out a house where a WWII guy just passed away (and his barn/garage just collapsed due to snow....to boot) -but - nothing great yet - looks like (for a change) these people are actually doing the cleanout slow-and-methodical (when you get a clean-out crew - they just huck everything as fast as possible -especially if they are hired by the bank or the town) - its awful...hehe

 

[OBN]

WOW, that is treasure!! Some really cool finds, I love going thru stuff from that ERA...I hate to say it but some of those may ebay for a small fortune.

 

[CRUSADER]

If I were you, I would give up work & do this full-time.