miniture Ivory Polar Bear for 25¢

[tamrock]

Last Saturday, I hit a street near by with 3 garage sales going on and this is the only thing I purchased. It was in with some junk jewelry with other odds and ends in a tray on a table and none of it was priced, so I just asked if they'd take a quarter for it. Lady said sure!.. I'm pretty sure it's carved from real ivory. I'm thinking it's made from a small piece of walrus tusk?.

 

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[Drmad7]

Nice!

 

[kingskid1611]

Its a beauty.....

 

[JimDon]

It looks bone to me.

 

[captain flintlock]

That's a cool little find. This one looks a bit like yours without the fish. https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/9928333_175-alaskan-inuit-carved-ivory-polar-bear

 

[tamrock]

It looks bone to me.

I don't think it is bone JD. I'm pretty sure the upper part is the hard enamel layer and the darker lower part is the inside core of the tusk. This photo is a cross section of a walrus tusk and you can see what I'm talking about. I also believe it was carved from the ivory of a long dead walrus they call fossil walrus ivory.

 

[tamrock]

That's a cool little find. This one looks a bit like yours without the fish. https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/9928333_175-alaskan-inuit-carved-ivory-polar-bear

I found this photo of an other small walrus ivory polar bear that almost looks identical in size and style to the one I have on a Skinner's auction website.

 

[JimDon]

I don't think it is bone JD. I'm pretty sure the upper part is the hard enamel layer and the darker lower part is the inside core of the tusk. This photo is a cross section of a walrus tusk and you can see what I'm talking about. I also believe it was carved from the ivory of a long dead walrus they call fossil walrus ivory.

I am used to seeing just the outer parts. Interesting item.

 

[diggummup]

Nice find. My ivory pieces have a crack like that in them also...

 

[tamrock]

How many of those you have Digs?

 

[diggummup]

How many of those you have Digs?

5 or 6 I think?

 

[The_Piratess]

Ivory will crack with changes in humidity and especially in extreme changes that occur rapidly. It expands in high humidity and retracts in low humidity! I had a knife made with pre-ban ivory that was shipped to me from Florida in the winter where it was very, very dry here. It had cracked badly during the shipping when it had arrived and it was packed very carefully and there was no damage to the box! Also never clean ivory pieces with water or anything liquid. Use only dry cloths.

 

[ARC]

These were popular in the 50's...

Tourist trade.

BTW... it is a "type" of Ivory... for it is a tusk... Walrus.

 

[ARC]

https://www.google.com/search?q=wal...qOgDw#imgrc=GH6kongHlV9QhM:&spf=1501493296596