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Subject:No idea where to start looking for something like this
Posted By: Frances Mon, Sep 01, 2014 IP: 70.209.9.112

I know my Mother's great uncle brought this back from Indonesia after WW1. I think the stamping is done with mother of pearl or something similar. Curious about origin and value.





Subject:Re: No idea where to start looking for something like this
Posted By: rat Tue, Sep 02, 2014

this is not much help: I find these gaudy but this one seems better quality than most, I hope you find some answers

Subject:Re: No idea where to start looking for something like this
Posted By: Bill H Wed, Sep 03, 2014

This is stylistically Chinese, probably late 19th-early 20th century in my opinion. It's unclear in your photo exactly what I'm looking at, but I've seen the same kind of mother of pearl inlay on Chinese trays, furniture and decorative items. Here's an example of a plaque from a Christie's auction:

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/a-chinese-mother-of-pearl-inlaid-plaque-19th-century-5288856-details.aspx?

Indonesia had a large, prosperous and enterprising Chinese population at the time when your Grandfather obtained this item, so while I believe the piece probably was made in China, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that it was produced by a Chinese-operated crafts factory in Indonesia.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: No idea where to start looking for something like this
Posted By: doug Sun, Sep 07, 2014

This type of mother of pearl inlay is characteristic of Vietnam - Annam (north Vietnam) late 19th - early 20th C.

Do a Google image search for Annamese mother of pearl and you will see lots of similar inlaid pieces.

Cheers

Doug


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