Anyone recognise this sculpture !,

by **keramark** September 2nd 2011, 8:36 am

Have had this for a lot of years, was once told that it may be silver !. Approx 3 inches long x 2 1/4 inches high. Heavy for it's size.
A guy once told me that he recognised it as a sculpture by someone he could not put a name to at that time. It appears to have been cast maybe as the base has a sort of white powder substance still on it that can't be removed !.

[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt10

Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt10

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[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt11

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[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt12

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[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt13

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[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt14

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[img] Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt15

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by **tenpot** September 2nd 2011, 8:48 am

looks like a cocaine smuggling llama

by **keramark** September 2nd 2011, 9:05 am

Please don't tell me that is what the White Powder on the base is !!! ... lol .. Chinese

by **Potty Primate** September 2nd 2011, 2:31 pm

Well! With your 'smugglers' brooch on 'Show and Tell', and then this! Is there something that you're trying to tell us Alan? Big Laughter

It's possibly Peruvian (there's that cocain link again), or somewhere around the Andes where the llama is used as a pack animal. I initially thought Tibet, but that's a different Lama altogether, and they use Yaks there.

by **tenpot** September 2nd 2011, 4:04 pm

seems to have a lot of wear could it be a toy?

by **Potty Primate** September 2nd 2011, 5:51 pm

tenpot wrote:seems to have a lot of wear could it be a toy?

I suspect that it originally was coated in black but somebody's taken the Brasso and a scourer to it, possibly thinking it was dirty rather than intentionally blackened.
One of my daughters once did the same with a Japanned brass vase of mine. She looked so proud of the job she'd done on it, I didn't have the heart to even pretend to be cross with her. Well, she was only 10 at the time.

by **keramark** September 2nd 2011, 6:01 pm

I think it's the other way around !!!, i think it's silver that has turned black !. The reason i say is because i have had it a long time, and when i first saw it there was not much black on it, i have never attempted to polish it, only dust it. It has definitely been cast me thinks, that's what i believe the white powdery patches on the base to be.

But what do i know !!! ... Shrugs

by **Potty Primate** September 2nd 2011, 6:29 pm

Hmm, bang goes my theory then. Surrender

Maybe you could invest in a basic silver testing kit?
Also, if it was by someone known, as you were told, I'd expect a signature or mark of some kind. Have you been all over it with a strong magnifier, as they're often well hidden within the detail of the sculpture?

by **keramark** September 2nd 2011, 6:49 pm

Over it, on it, and in it ... lol

by **Potty Primate** September 2nd 2011, 7:09 pm

I once had an Australian cast metal 'Swagman' figure; the mark was a tiny monogram hidden on a knot in the 'wood' on his cane.

by **keramark** September 2nd 2011, 7:23 pm

I'll check it again then, but this time with a curry-comb ... ;-)

by **Potty Primate** September 2nd 2011, 8:55 pm

I'm not saying that there has to be a mark, just that I'd expect one if it were by a known artist.
Even if there were one, it might be so incongruous as to be undetectable, it may have been polished out, or could even be hidden below the powdery residue, which is why if I'm looking for a mark that I think should be there, I'll examine every lump, bump and line from every possible angle.

As an example of just how incongruous a mark can be, I've taken the liberty of copying one of your pics to highlight a particular part (I hope you don't mind, but if you do I'll forward the name of my solicitor Laughter

). The circled bit could be just a random shape in the metal, but I can also possibly see something resembling a carp-like fish facing right.

Anyone recognise this sculpture !, Sculpt11

by **keramark** September 3rd 2011, 7:32 am

You could be right !, strongest magnifier i have shows it up to be some kind of fish, " A Carp ". Tail, Scales, eye - the whole lot.

All that time looking over it and it was right there, i knew this forum would bring out the best in my hunger for knowledge. Thank you P.P. And all ya colleagues .... Excellent

by **Potty Primate** September 3rd 2011, 11:16 am

by **keramark** September 3rd 2011, 11:27 am

Now does anyone know what that mark means !!! ... Innocent

by **Potty** September 3rd 2011, 1:42 pm

I would not be surprised if it was a lower grade continental silver somewhere between 800 and 850. From the pictures it has the "look" of low grade silver, in my opinion anyway.

I will try and find my silver book, as the mark you talk of sounds like it could be a continental silver mark, does the carp have any numbers/numerals on it?

by **Potty** September 3rd 2011, 1:52 pm

Anything like the "Dolphin" mark here http://www.925-1000.com/Fnetherlands_Date_Code.html ?

by **Potty** September 3rd 2011, 1:53 pm

P.S. Misplaced my silver book. . . Shock

Any chane of a close up picture of the mark please?

by **keramark** September 3rd 2011, 9:00 pm

Definately nothing like the Dolphin mark, a fish, a carp, yes.

I agree that it is probably low grade silver, but pretty well made and a nice subject for it to be nothing !.

Will post a close-up soon. Thank you ;-)

by **Potty** September 4th 2011, 12:57 am

By low grade I just mean less than 925 (standard British silver quality) parts of silver to every 1000.

by **Potty Primate** September 4th 2011, 9:45 am

Come now Potty, it's obvious you're suffering 'Sterling Snobbery'. Big Laughter

by **Potty** September 4th 2011, 11:39 am

I have a 800 grade silver kangaroo that I'd not part with and is really well made, so no worries there Cheeky

I actually don’t like a lot of the newer jewelry in 925 that seems to come from Italy and Spain, I don’t know if / why the silver is different but seems to be a lesser quality. I guess it is to do with what the other 75 is made from?

by Bess September 9th 2011, 1:37 am

Wouldn't it more likely be South American silver if it's a llama/alpaca at work sculpture?

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