vintage? Antique? Carved bone?
Summary: mewmew52lk sought information about an old necklace made from what they suspected to be carved bovine bone and hand-knotted with a jute-like cord. fabrics24 and rokkworks engaged in a detailed discussion, examining features like the screw barrel clasp and speculating on the necklace's origins, suggesting African, Plains tribes, or Japanese influences. They noted the intricate carving technique and considered whether the beads might be bone or ivory, cautioning against labeling it as ivory due to legal restrictions. mewmew52lk appreciated the insights and intended to continue investigating the necklace.
14 comments
rokkworks
·1 week ago@mewmew52lk Just wanted to show you an example of carved bone done similarly…(fyi-not my listing, I don’t know the seller.)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/227150842177?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item
There are many examples of sewing tools like this on eBay and beyond.
rokkworks
·1 week ago · EditedCan you tell what the stringing cord is made from?(I see you said jute, so not modern material. ) Are the round beads wood? Lacquered? Any metal on this?rokkworks
·1 week agoHi there! Reminds me of the Ojime Japanese carved bone beads.
fabrics24
·1 week agoI hadn't even considered that! It could absolutely be Japanese!
mewmew52lk
OP1 week agoCarved bone or ivory? I haven’t been able to find anything close to these unique beads!
fabrics24
·1 week ago · EditedYou'll have to list it as carved bone to avoid triggering a policy violation; ivory is banned to discourage poaching. I suspect they're water buffalo or cattle bone/horn.
They're absolutely beautiful.
fabrics24
·1 week agoThat does look like bone!
Can you show us a closer look at the closure? How does it fasten together?
fabrics24
·1 week agoFrom this angle, it looks like a screw/barrel clasp, which would be around 19th century at the earliest.
mewmew52lk
OP1 week agofabrics24
·1 week agoOkay, definitely a screw/barrel clasp, then!
The absolute oldest this piece can be is from the 1800s, but let's see if we can identify some other clues.
This doesn't really resemble Memento Mori or other Victorian jewelry, which would have some gothic motifs to it and black coloring, and probably be made with different materials. The bone-metal-wood combo makes me think it's not European; jewelry in Europe was all about fine metals, glass, pearls and crystals at this point. I'm leaning towards African, though it's possible that it's from one of the Plains tribes (they tend to make longer, smooth bone beads for hairpipes and breastplates, though).
What interests me most is how neat the carving is; the tools used on the bone (which could also be a light-colored wood, looking closer), were very sophisticated. With the clean carving work (that definitely needed metal tools and a way to polish the work), and the intricate metalwork I'm thinking this is probably much younger than 1800s. The jute also makes me think it's either been taken care of exceptionally well, or has possibly been repaired or reassembled; jute doesn't last very long in humid environments, and most storage areas are.
I should definitely mention that I'm not an expert; just an enthusiast with a little knowledge.
mewmew52lk
OP1 week agoThank you for all your information. I will continue on with this mystery!
fabrics24
·1 week agoNo worries! I love IDing jewelry, especially the natural stuff like bone and wood <3
Definitely look into Japanese jewelry from the 1870s onwards; if this is indeed Japanese, it was likely made after Japan opened its borders to the west and exchanged machinery knowledge about screw fastening. Full industrial scale production of screws and screw-like items didn't happen until the 1900s, so that might give you a better time frame.
mewmew52lk
OP1 week agomewmew52lk
OP1 week agoThis is quite the mystery!