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Subject:Subject: Request for Assessment – Unusual Composite Stone Carving (Functional Ritual Standard)
Posted By: Indiana Wed, Oct 14, 2026 IP: 90.216.3.206
I am not looking for a valuation, just help with my research.
OBJECT SUMMARY:
· Material: Serpentine-amphibolite type stone (possible nephrite; SG 2.94+)
· Dimensions: 34 x 14 x 4 cm
· Weight: 2.04 kg
· Form: Carved in-the-round; composite human-beast figure
KEY EVIDENCE OBSERVED:
· Perforation System:
Central hole (left-right) provides a virtually perfect upright balance when suspended. Horn hole (front-back) is perpendicular to central, acting as a stabiliser. Snout hole for adornment/tassel.
· Tooling:
Bi-conical bore walls with irregular, non-rotary abrasive pitting consistent with manual drilling using quartz/corundum slurry. No modern rotary striations.
· Surface:
Hand-carved, granular non-mechanical texture; directional polishing striations in recesses.
· Mineralisation:
Layered calcification (calcite) and iron staining inside perforations. Snout hole contains orange-reddish mineral lining (possible cinnabar) overlaid by white/buff mineral crust, consistent with ancient burial context.
· Provenance:
Provenance indicating UK arrival c.1910
More images to be uploaded, including many interesting macro shots, they just need to be resized first.
Trying to identify it's origin, if anyone has any idea.
Raman Spectroscopy, Lithics & Uranium-Thorium (U-Th) dating will be done later.
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Subject: Request for Assessment – Unusual Composite Stone Carving (Functional Ritual Standard) 
( China & Japan ) - Indiana - Oct 14, 2026 (09:29 AM)