Dear Helaine and Joe:
This curio was my grandmother’s. I am 82 years old and am about to give this to my daughter. I would love to know its history. The story that accompanied the passing down is Nana got it as a wedding present. The piece measures 2 3/4 inches long and looks to be carved from ivory or whale bone. Can you tell me something about this?
Thank you,
P. H.
Dear P. H.:
We applauded the passing down. It is wonderful that the heirloom is being cherished and passed on from mother to daughter. It makes this piece important, no matter what it turns out to be.
P. H. sent us lots of pictures — certainly enough to determine the material from which the piece was made and suggests the place of origin and the method of creation. What she left out were pictures of the back so we could know if it had a small attached support to stand on its own, or if it had a pin back so it could be worn as a brooch, or perhaps a small bail at the top so it could be worn as a pendant.
We just do not know its exact use, but we have mentally excluded it as a free standing object of veneration. The piece is a bit small to be a stand-alone piece. Therefore, we will proceed with the assumption that it was designed to be worn, perhaps to demonstrate one’s devotion to Christ or perhaps worn every day, going to the market, working around the house cleaning, talking with the neighbors, using it as a touchstone of faith.
The image depicts Christ on the cross flanked by two figures, one is almost certainly Mary of Bethany and the other is probably her sister Martha (the duo is known as the “grieving sisters”). It is hard to say for sure because one might be Mary, mother of Jesus and the other Mary Magdalene. In the back of the image is a rough representation of buildings that may suggest Jerusalem in the background.
The main issue is, could this have been carved from ivory or whale bone? Sadly, the answer is no. Thanks to the really good photographs, we see bubbles in the material used to make the piece that are inconsistent with natural materials such as ivory or whale bone.
What we see is an almost layered effect with a rough edge and what appears to be a concave area in the center of the back. We are fairly certain this is made from plaster or some sort of composition material. We also feel the piece is probably Italian or a product made by Italian-Americans after they immigrated to the United States.
Making plaster images was a cottage industry among many Italian American immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th century when the piece was made. The turn-of-the- century frame appears to be brass and the glass appears to be original.
The monetary value is very small because in our secular society there is not a large market for this sort of thing, though some people do avidly collect these images. The value is in its family history and dollars, which are modest, can only cheapen its true meaning to P. H.’s family.
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Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson have written a number of books on antiques. Do you have an item you'd like to know more about? Contact them at Joe Rosson, 2504 Seymour Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or email them at treasures@knology.net. If you'd like your question to be considered for their column, please include a high-resolution photo of the subject, which must be in focus, with your inquiry.
