Real or Fake? Thoughts?

[Kantuckkeean]

I got to view a friend's collection that he'd been telling me about for a couple of years. I finally convinced him to dig it out of his closet. In his collection, which contained some nice pieces that I'll post later, were a few things that I found questionable. This is one:



Supposedly it was found in eastern Kentucky. What do you all think about it? It doesn't have a hole drilled through it, so it's not a pipe.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck

 

[welsbury]

I know it is worth nothing but it looks old. Is it pottery? Looks like a person with a painted hat,and ear spools? Could have had insets in eyes...??

 

[joshuaream]

It's not fake. I've handled thousands of small pottery adornos, and it's got all the of the hallmarks of old pottery. You don't have the back side pictured, but I'd assume it's smooth with the same texture as the 'forehead' of the face. The broken surface looks to be the top of the head (which would indicate that it was attached to something there.)

The question to me is, is it from Kentucky? And I don't see that.

It looks Latin American to me. The style and the type of burnish & glaze finish that is very visible in the picture where it is sideways in your hand.

That style of face is a bit more common in the Caribbean with Taino relics, if you google Taino Cohoba Idol you'll see similar faces. It's generic enough that it certainly could be from other places as well. In Central America groups made a lot of Tripod bottles with faces on the legs. If you google Precolumbian Tripod you'll see some pieces of pottery when that could potentially be one of three legs.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Kantuck, based on what Joshua said, above, I'd say your friend
has got something very special there.

 

[Kantuckkeean]

Thank you for the information Joshua. When I saw it, it didn't appear to be from Kentucky. He had another piece that he said was from Mexico. When he pulled it out, I said, "Well that one sure ain't from Kentucky!" I'll try to get some pictures of it and the rest of his collection the next time that I'm down there.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck