My first ...what is it?

[khunn]

I am sure this will be easy for most, but I am clueless. Bought this ball?( yardsale ) because it looked old and was inexpensive. I assume it would have been placed on a small stand. Also, not sure what it is made out of.
It is 4 inches high( approx 13 inches around ) and heavy. Appears to be made of smaller panels but perhaps hollow inside? Yellowing from age or cheapness I do not know. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thnx for looking.

[talesofthesevenseas]

First order of business will be to determine if it could be ivory. What you want to see is a double, criss-crossing grain. It will probably NOT be easy to see (it won't be as clear as in this example) and you'll have to look all over it under magnification. This is what ivory grain looks like:

[mart]

 Looks like it could be ivory, could also be bone.  What gets me is the decoration looks rather rough. Has it been repainted over the lines??

[khunn]

I was wondering about the decoration myself...looks as if it was painted by dripping the colors onto it (like decorating a cake)...if that makes since. Was more interested in how it was put together. Many small square and triangle pieces put together to form a sphere. My first thought was bone, but comparing it to my ivory buddha and hotei( verified ivory ) I could not see the difference. Though, as stated, I know very little on this subject.

[mart]

Can you try to take a close up on a spot that is good enough that we can see it !!

[khunn]

will try once I borrow a better camera....mine is old and very basic. thnx

[mart]

Sometimes those are the best kind !!  I have been thinking about this object and think it almost has to be made of bone. Simply for the fact that it is put together with pieces and rather small ones at that.  Anyone remember the Pawn Stars episode that had a elephant tusk a lady was trying to sell?? It was carved and looked nice till you got close. It was made the same way this is,, from bone !!  Bone will also yellow and age !!  I am thinking this is from an import shop !!  Too sloppily done to be ivory !!

[mariok54]

I think that a number of people are concerned about the quality of the paintwork, but I suppose it could just be a style that I've not come across before 

[cogar]

It is 4 inches high (approx 13 inches around) and heavy. Appears to be made of smaller panels

Iffen it was made of smaller panels (which I doubt) then it would have required an expert master artisan working a long, long time to create.  A Tiffany equivalent artisan.

Just my opinion though based on what I can see via the photos .

[KC]

It looks like it is scored to me instead of panels.

Looks like a decorator ball that you see clustered in bowls on a table.

[waywardangler]

I was waiting for some better pics but it looks like a long wait. I am with KC on this being a decorator ball. This is definitely not Tiffany quality or master craftsman quality. The panels are irregular, the decoration is irregular, and the painting is sloppy. Who would take the time to fit separate panels, apply that decoration, and then slop paint on the decoration? Take a red hot pin and push it in an inconspicuous spot. If it melts a hole, it is plastic. If you drill a tiny hole and it smells like your tooth being drilled it is bone. Ivory must have cross graining. JMO

[mart]

Didn`t think about the possibility of it being scored !!

[waywardangler]

Score one for KC and another for mart!

[mart]

Better just let KC take that one !!  My mind was on summer vacation !!

[cogar]

My inference concerning an expert master artisan was not in reference to …. any irregular panels, any irregular decoration or any sloppy painting …… which most any artisan is capable of doing. 

My concern was the making of each one of those unique panels …. out of bone or ivory …… which would require specific and exact dimensions for each one of said panels relative to curvature, size and angular shape. The task of parquet’ing a round object is not as simple as parquet’ing a flat surface like a floor or a checkerboard.   

I apologize for not pointing that out in my 1st post.