The Simichrome test on this is conclusively Bakelite/Faturan, returning an amber-tobacco swan epitomizing a positive result. This is NOT red lucite or any new-age resin composite like you might see with bright red censors, it is a deep rich red, darkened with age. It looks as though this has never been given a detailed cleaning or scrubbing, as there is still a rust-colored residue from the carving process- this is particularly evident on the interior. It weighs a whopping 916 grams – I cannot find a larger carved block of Faturan on the internet. This is a great piece for anyone fascinated with the trade of this substance. If I had to speculate, this Faturan was probably imported from Turkey in block-form in the Art Deco era, to China. The carving itself looks to be the work of someone familiar with cinnabar carving, as it resembles many cinnabar vase patterns. The vase is 9-1/2 tall and features a repeat image of a dragon, they are nearly the same (I included a close-up of each) but slightly varied. The highest/most raised exterior portions of the vase were sanded smooth to the touch. It feels great to rub your finger across he dragon scales, they’re smoothed down. The deeper/recesses cuts are very sharp. This is NOT a molded or modern piece – it is an artistically executed work of art, with great historical context of the Faturan Trade. DAMAGE: looking into the vase from an aerial view (see close-ups) there are some linear scratches- these look like they may even be took marks from the production of carving the vase. Theres a small scuff at the vase of the vase- I’m pointing at it in one photo. There is one small absent piece of filigree- I’m pointing it out in one photo- I’m not certain if this was produced this way, as it looks like the carver “fixed” the error and make it inconspicuous, but it could be a small absent chip- but it doesn’t look like it incurred any hit. Truly stunning and in wonderful condition. Please see my other listings – there are some spectacular pieces in this Faturan-themed (and prayer bead, and amber) collection. The item “Museum Quality Tested Bakelite/Faturan 916g Finely Carved Chinese Dragon c1920″ is in sale since Thursday, March 21, 2019. This item is in the category “Antiques\Asian Antiques\China\Vases”. The seller is “theambercoast” and is located in Iowa City, Iowa. This item can be shipped to United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, South africa, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Viet nam, Uruguay, Canada, Taiwan, Chile, Costa rica, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras.
- Age: 1900-1940
- Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
- Region of Origin: China
- Color: Red
