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How does one identify ivory pieces? | Asian Antiques1530 of 1906 |  |  |
Posted 2 years ago
murthog
(3 items)
All I know of these is that they are (obviously) Asian and they both stand 7 inches tall, including the ebony stands.
Age is unknown. The ivory has yellowed, particularly on the male figure's back.
There are no marks anywhere on either. I know that sometimes the character portrayed can give some clues - does anyone know of any references?
Thanks.
Alan
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Asian AntiquesAsian cultures are among the oldest in the world and are associated with so…
hi
thay are very nice looking, but i have my doubts on wether they are ivory, a lot of this sort of ware is produced in ox bone and resin, a hot needle test would be a help. Find an area that is hidden and heat up the end of a needle, if it pushes in easily then it probably is resin, if it wont go in it could be bone or ivory, a close look under a strong magnifier should show tell tale lines that naturally occur in ivory and bone. hope that helps a bit
ian
Thanks for the good advice. I examined them under a 4X loupe and I do see the lines. Just to make sure I will try that needle test later.
If both have lines, how does one tell bone from ivory?