Big-Headed Primitive Figure Carved from Fossilized Mammoth Bone
Mammoth Bone Carving from Java, Indonesia
L 5 ½ H 3 ¾ W 2 ¾ inches ( 14 x 9.5 x 7 cm). Weight 2 lb 4 oz (1.01 kilos)
This extraordinary sculpture of a seated tribal-like masked figure is carved from fossilized mammoth bones excavated from the Solo River region of Java, Indonesia. It was hand carved prior to 1988 when I acquired it from an art gallery in Bali, but the mammoth bone from which it is carved is approximately 1.9 million years old.
The carving represents a seated figure with a large head or mask, with one hand on its cheek and the other covering the ear.
The fossilized mammoth bone has an interesting grained surface. It is incredibly dense, heavy, and hard, and no doubt would have been time-consuming and challenging to carve.
This is a fascinating, characterful, and tactile little sculpture with an elemental and primal quality that I have enjoyed for many years.