CBlev65252
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posted on September 10, 2003 01:45:42 PM new
I bought this eagle at an estate sale and all they knew was that it is old and their father had it for many years. Just a couple of questions so I can describe it right. Would you say that it's the eagle's tail hanging down or does it look like a shield? I say tail, my friend says shield. Also, is there any way to tell if it really is old or what kind of shell it was carved out of? You can see part of the shell from the back. It seems large for a pendant (2-1/2" x 2-1/2" ). Sorry about all the pics, but I wanted to get one from every angle. Does it look Native American to anyone? I think it's amazing how the artist used the natural shape of the shell. Just wish it were signed.
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Sep 10, 2003 01:48 PM ]
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AuctionAce
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posted on September 10, 2003 03:25:55 PM new
Might be abalone shell. The abalone shells get pretty big.
-------------- sig file ----------- President John F. Kennedy said, "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."
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alldings
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posted on September 10, 2003 04:00:13 PM new
Abalone would be my guess. Looks more like some sort of sea bird rather than an eagle. A gull maybe. No
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Dragonmom
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posted on September 10, 2003 04:12:19 PM new
Put tail AND shield into the description!I found one on google
http://www.dustystuff.com/product.asp?Category=614
I thought there'd be lots, but apparently not...
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
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kiara
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posted on September 10, 2003 04:19:31 PM new
It looks like it's made from mother of pearl shell. They use the shell in many jewelry pieces and it used to be used as grips on pistols.
Abalone is usually a colored shell with blues and pinks in it.
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CBlev65252
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posted on September 10, 2003 04:39:20 PM new
I think it's MOP also. It has the right sheen. It's just not bright white like new MOP. I'm wondering if the slightly creamy color could be due to age. It really is a shame that it's not signed anywhere. Such wonderful work. So, I guess it could be Native American. You can't really see it well in the photos, but even his beak is carved out. Wish I had the talent.
Cheryl
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kiara
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posted on September 10, 2003 04:52:21 PM new
The color varies and I think the older pieces are the nicest looking as most of the newer jewelry has very white MOP. This site in NZ loads slow for me but it has some good pics of MOP.
Pacific Pearl shell, or Mother-of-Pearl, is a true treasure of the deep and is absolutely stunning when polished and carved. It has layers of gold or black through the silver/white peal which seem to shift and swirl around as the carvings are turned. Pacific Pearl comes in gold lipped or black lipped varieties which often reach 10 inches or more in diameter and close to an inch thick. Pearl is almost as hard as jade so is a wonderful long lasting material intricate carvings.
http://giftsofnz.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Bone+Art+Place&Category_Code=pacificpearlshell
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CBlev65252
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posted on September 10, 2003 05:00:08 PM new
Thanks, Kiara. I didn't know MOP could be so expensive. Those aren't even as nicely carved. I agree that the creamy color is much nicer than the new bright white.
Cheryl
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stopwhining
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posted on September 10, 2003 05:45:26 PM new
this is not an eagle,look at its beak.
could be a pigeon
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
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AuctionAce
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posted on September 10, 2003 05:58:10 PM new
I always thought abalone and MOP were the same?
The primary use for abalone shells is in making mother-of-pearl inlays on furniture, produced principally in Korea. Abalone shells are also sold to shell collectors and as souvenirs, and are used in making jewelry.
-------------- sig file ----------- President John F. Kennedy said, "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."
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CBlev65252
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posted on September 10, 2003 06:02:34 PM new
The beak is probably not big because there is only so much shell. Looks like other eagles I did a search on. JMO
Cheryl
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kiara
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posted on September 10, 2003 06:24:54 PM new
MOP and abalone are mostly the same shell only different varieties. The MOP is usually white and the abalone is colored. Here are pictures of both shells.
http://www.davesdowntoearthrockshop.com/mop.htm
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kiara
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posted on September 10, 2003 06:31:10 PM new
If you click on Minerals on that site it has some of the best pics I've seen of the different stones.
http://www.davesdowntoearthrockshop.com/minerals.htm
Yes, I think this is the artist's interpretation of an eagle and it looks much better than most MOP eagles I found in a google search. As for the beak, size doesn't matter. 
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CBlev65252
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posted on September 11, 2003 05:12:08 AM new
Okay, I was going to sell it as is but I've decided to turn it into something. Thought I'd use MOP, Coral and Turquoise stones (sort of red, white and blue) for the necklace part and a gold heart toggle for the clasp (an I love the USA type theme). I'd be using Native American materials with a twist. Then I'll sell it as an old (antique?) pendant on a new necklace. We'll see what happens. Now all I need to find is the time to do it in.
Thanks everyone. Great mineral links, btw.
Cheryl
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