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Tim Simmons
29th July 2007, 04:33 PM
Look at this. You know I like this sort of thing. I was at one time thinking of leaving a bid :rolleyes: . The magic Z word was not even mention. It is not that large either. I have two items in the same line not quite as nice as this which is very nice, £330 worth of nice? :eek:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=016&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=260142346488&rd=1&rd=1

Rick
29th July 2007, 04:44 PM
Tim, this is African ?

Y'know it looks to me like a wood carving of an item made of rope ( Bosun's Starter or Colt ) once used by the Bosun's Mate on the old square riggers, American warships and those of the RN for 'encouraging' laggard sailors.

Freddy
29th July 2007, 04:45 PM
I saw this one, too. Looks really interesting, but I doubt if it's a tribal piece. It looks more as a thing a sailor made in his spare time during the voyage....But that's only my opinion.

Nevertheless, it's beautifully carved. I wouldn't mind having it (but not at that price). :rolleyes:

Tim Simmons
29th July 2007, 04:51 PM
I thought it far too clever, well practised and above all prestigious for a sailors work killing time. knotting and most of all knot design forms {look at west Africa and Kuba} are not exclusively maritime. I might be pressed into a different opinion :D :rolleyes: .

kronckew
29th July 2007, 05:29 PM
it does look a lot like a bosun's 'starter' which was a rope end used to 'encourage' a slow seaman to work faster, and was almost a badge of office. these were frequently embellished with fancy marlinspike knotwork and tarred. the monkey's fist at the end was frequently made up around a spherical core object like a musket ball to add 'authority'. the example in the ebay does appear to be similar to such knotwork, but in wood.

here is a related example, as 'starters' are now illegal to use for us poor sailor types, this one is a bell pull for a ships bell.....

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/others/considine/BellRope_024L.jpg

Tim Simmons
29th July 2007, 06:49 PM
Yes indeed. As such I would imagine it is rather rare and hence the price.

Tim Simmons
30th July 2007, 08:07 PM
I still think this is African. knots are symbolic world wide.