Oriental Carvings (whale bone or elephant tusk)

[Hraldo]

 I inherited these from my great uncle who, while in the military, traveled across much of Asia. They appear to be Chinese but I don't know for certain, and these is nary a mark on them to I.D. them by.  Only the Temple carving has markings, which I cannot read, obviously.  All three are of fine detail, especially the aforementioned Temple carving, and any information or direction as to where to look to get them I.D.'d would be appreciated.

[sapphire]

Not that it's much help, but all I can contribute is Oh WOW!! Stunning!

[talesofthesevenseas]

You can start by determining if you've got real ivory by looking at the grain. Get a jeweler's loop or a good magnifying glass and look for a double criss-crossing grain like this. It probably won't be as clear as the example shown here, and it may be very faint, but you should be able to see a criss-crossing grain. You may have to look at different places on the object to see it:



More info on identifying bone, ivory and celluloid with great photos:
http://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/distinguish_iv_bon_cel.htm

[luxetveritas]

If they are real ivory (which I think they are), you've got quite a set- at auction these would bring a small fortune. As to where they're from, they're Chinese. Probably early 20th century?

[KC]

You really need to have a hands-on evaluation and appraisal.

Nice pieces!

[luxetveritas]

Couldn't agree more. From pictures you can guess, but having the pieces in person will be far more accurate. The main reason I say early 20th century is actually because of the wood stands, which look like the originals. But then again, as KC said, it's hard to tell for sure.