Author Topic: Wood Carved Statues  (Read 2139 times)

rustyattic

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Wood Carved Statues
« on: July 14, 2013, 10:20:44 pm »
Trying to research these, but don't really know where to start.  What are some keywords I can search?  Tribal statue, maybe?  the tallest one is about 12in tall.

rustyattic

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2013, 10:21:45 pm »
.

Ipcress

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2013, 02:01:20 am »
Really like the one in the middle.

Something like that i'd be contacting a few specialists. That and the crossed arm figure have something about them. The larger bust looks like the very common tourist gift and something that could have been made anywhere.

rustyattic

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2013, 08:39:28 pm »
Really like the one in the middle.

Something like that i'd be contacting a few specialists. That and the crossed arm figure have something about them. The larger bust looks like the very common tourist gift and something that could have been made anywhere.

Any suggestions on who to contact?  I searched for antique message boards on google, and most of them are ghost towns.  I emailed a few websites with what look like similar items to mine and haven't received a response.  What ethnicity do you think it is?
This is the one I really curious about:

mariok54

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2013, 12:34:15 am »
I agree with Ipcress, two of those are interesting. I would e-mail these pictures to a number of Auction Houses (some are very slow in responding) and you will get a selection of free appraisals. Don't just rely on one .... you have decent photos, e-mails are free, get searching for good auction houses (where are you located?). Even many local Auction Houses employ the expertise of specialists, the one that is local to me has a Fine Art specialist, a Paintings expert, a Jewelry expert, and the owner knows a lot about your particular items. These people work as independent consultants and all have at some point worked for  big houses such as Sotherby.

Don't rely just on a single appraisal. If you look at my post on Ebay chat about a Bamboo purse I posted 2 - 3 years ago, I took that to one local Auction House, run by a very high profile auctioneer who dismissed it as 1980's tourist tat. Following posting it on this site where one member found a couple of very similar ones, I took it to another auction house (the first one I mentioned above) and they put it 100 years earlier, 1870 - 1880!!! But had no real idea about a value  but thought that they'd put it in with a low estimate of £180 - £250 and let it find its own value  (they don't always know everything, and I shy away from people who think that they do, so it was a pleasantly honest response).

Good luck with those pieces and let us know how you get on......Did you say how they came into your possession?

rustyattic

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2013, 02:40:06 pm »
Thanks for the informative reply.  I'm constantly impressed with how helpful and generous this forum is.  Other message boards I browse either have little traffic or the members are all know-it-alls, that really don't know squat. 

I work with an estate liquidator and do some picking when I can.  This particular piece was bought from someone who worked in a Chicago museum.  He had a lot of good looking stuff, a lot I think would be considered modern, imports and touristy items. He did have a good amount of legit antiques, though.  That's why I'm particularly interested in this one.  99% of the time it's just a neat looking collectible, with no great value or rarity, but once in a while I find something with a cool history.   

mart

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2013, 03:57:41 pm »
I would do as the others have suggested and get someone with knowledge to look at the two on the right!!  Bust does look more modern tourist type !! Its not any culture I am familiar with !!  And looks to have good age !!

rustyattic

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2013, 08:45:53 pm »
I messaged someone on facebook (after searching African antiques)  He was nice enough to respond, telling me the statue is a Luba Shankadi style and from Congo. 

Ipcress

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2013, 02:44:01 am »
Have you then tried contacting these ?

http://www.randafricanart.com/index1.html


mart

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Re: Wood Carved Statues
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2013, 09:17:31 am »
Thanks for updating us !!  Is that all they said ??  I would follow up on Ipcress` link !!