ivory oriental vase

 Hi

I am not sure how old this post is or if you are still monitoring it.  

My wife and I began debating an ivory vase with elephant head handles this morning.  I said I didn't believe it was ivory and she said she did.  The history of the vase is unclear except it came to be my mother's from her mother probably in the early 1980's.  My grandmother had it I know, since the 1970's.  She lived in Scotland and I recall seeing it first on one of my trips either in 1976 or 1977.  My grandmother got it from my uncle who was a merchant marine, and I can only assume he began his service in the 1960's.  So, that is as far as my knowledge goes on the vase.   

This evening, I began typing in ivory vases and finally came to this site and your photographs.  The vase you posted is almost identical to mine.  The carvings look to be very close.  However, I cannot find the artists signature anywhere inside or on the bottom of the black pedastal.  This thing had been used as a plant pot by my mother but the inside bottom shows the dirt and not the top.  

One of the legs is broken.  It still stands on all three "feet" I guess I would call them, just one of them is broken in half.  What I did notice is that above each foot is an Oriental character.  All three are different above each foot.  I am interested in knowing if yours has the same characters above the legs / feet. 

I see you purchased yours for $40 dollars.  I am curious to see if you have had any prices given to you as an appraisal value.

I must note again that I question the fact that this is ivory.  Why I do is because of the broken foot / leg.  I "assumed" that the base was made from teak or mahogony, but where the break is, there is no wood grain.  As for a resin base, I don't know.  Another clue I noticed on mine is that there is a rough patch, well, it has been smoothed over, that is like a bump on the black base.  Again, I don't know if it is a resin base or maybe a stone of sorts. 

I do hope you are still following this post