Superimposed load Torador query

[adrian]

Hi I am curious as to what the small decorative panels covering the stock of this Torador are made of. About the only thing I can think of is dyed horn, I suspect it is not dyed ivory, but I have not seen this before.
Any help much appreciated.

[kai]

Hello Adrian,

Bone, stag, or ivory are the most likely contenders.

It might well be ivory - search for panels exhibiting Schreger lines!

We need better (sharp) close-ups, especially of imperfect/damaged panels.

Regards,
Kai

[Kubur]

Hi

IVORY for sure
You are rich now!
Could you post some photos of the whole gun?
And details of the pans, trigger or triggers and the muzzle?

Thanks

[Battara]

Yes please post pics of the whole thing before anyone else posts replies.

[adrian]

More close ups etc below. There is just the single trigger. It has one serpentine and the other is missing, the slot it operated from is evident.

It is in a large collection of antique Ethnographic arms, many of which are high quality, but the barrel etc on this gun is pretty ordinary.

Are you sure it is Ivory?

[ariel]

It has an almost “ plastic” unifortmity.
I would do a hot needle test just to be sure.
The upper left corner in the second pic from the bottom seems to show some burnt areas.

[adrian]

I've just tried a red hot wire, it doesn't melt the material on the gun, just leaves a tiny char dot. I applied the same wire to hard plastic (a tape measure case) & it melted straight in & raised smoked.

So the gun's material is not plastic.....

[adrian]

oops double post

[Tim Simmons]

It looks to be bone.

[Kubur]

Ok I have to explain why I think it's ivory.

All the Indian power flasks made that way, are made of ivory;

but most of them are decorative objects, not even with a hole to pour the powder.

Many Indian toradors made of mother-of-pearl are late 19th or early 20th and they are just decorative.

It's the reason why I think that this torador is made of ivory but just as a decorative item from 1900.

Sometimes they use old barrels, so I was intrigued to see more of this gun...


:shrug:

[mahratt]

This is certainly not ivory. But I don't think this is any kind of plastic. In my opinion, these are small plates of bone from a camel's leg. And yes, most likely the decor was made in the early 20th century.

[asomotif]

The material reminds me of a mirror frame we had from Morocco inlaid with.. camel bone.
No indications of ivory at all imho.
No schreger lines and the yellow colour would indicate a long storage in the dark in case of ivory, but even than ivory does not tend to become this yellow almost orange.

I go for the camel bone.

[adrian]

Thank you everyone, I think camel bone is the most likely from the discussions so far. I googled 'dyed stabilised camel bone' and that does look the same on some images.

[ariel]

Not ivory for sure. If it passed the hot wire test, it is going to be bone: camel, buffalo ( not cow, we are talking about India:-), horse. Even elephant or hippo.

I am now reading “Career of evil” by Robert Galbraith ( in reality J. K. Rowling of the Harry Potter fame), a third installment in a marvelous series. It starts with an amputated human leg. That will also do, in a macabre way.

Well, did it give you willies? :-)))