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Hi, I have a small (1 1/2 inch in diameter) bi disk. It's worn out. The material is very soft, whitish and can be scratched with a fingernail. I can make out that the disk had even width throughout and see the edges of some of the circumference. I have attached some very grainy pictures (the best I could get). My questions are: is this something most likely original? If so, about how old do you think it is? Thanks-- Marcela

Dear Cordero

Soapstone, stealite and talc were used for making stone lamps, stone beads, and stone bowls, and funerary urns in Neolithic time around the world.

It's possibly made of talc. It becomes powderly lump through acid treatment and time.

Neolithic stone artefacts are not all made of hard stones, however, those stones are mostly do not survive through time.

Have fun
Anita Mui

URL Title :wikipedia.org/Talc

Dear Marcella

Although posted pictures are far too bad to say anything about your stuff in particular, soft material are likely to be new or worthless.

Why?

Soft material (and yours is extremely soft):

-if old: suface alteration would be too severe making identification very difficult, loosing the original carving interest.

-if new it would be too easy to fake old material aspect,

Therefore unless very good conservation condition it would be almost impossible to date from the surface aspect.

Regards,

Pipane


URL Title :Pipane Asian Art Gallery

Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge with me. I will post better pictures when I get a better camera :) Best to you all. -- Marcela

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