No marks

[amena]

I found this item, made of a silver mounted coconut . Its peculiarity is that, looking at it from above, you can see a bear's face with an acorn in its mouth.


Maybe it's a sugar bowl, but it seems unhygienic to have two open holes in the lid. Maybe a potpourri container?
It has no marks and I wonder if any of you can give me some clues to identify its use and provenance.
Thanks for attention
Amena

[dragonflywink]

Feeling just a bit of uncharacteristic envy...

Even missing its eyes, that is probably the most elegant 'bugbear' I've seen, would have to suspect a silversmith's product rather than the more typical pieces carved by sailors, etc. They're often made into powder flasks, but also all sorts of other items, would guess yours is perhaps a tea caddy - the eyes, set into two of the natural 'eyes' on the coconut, could be of various materials, but would think yours likely glass or stones mounted in silver bezels (believe a good jeweler would have no problem crafting replacements).

~Cheryl

[amena]

Good morning Cheryl
Thanks for your reply and also for introducing me to coconut bugbears, which were completely unknown to me.
Eyes or just holes?
it is very probable that there were eyes where there are now only two holes, and therefore the lid was complete.
I was hoping someone had seen something similar and could tell me what kind of eyes. They may also have been of hammered silver, like the muzzle. I also wonder if the acorn in the bear's mouth has any particular traditional iconographic meaning.
However, for now, I think I'll keep the bear as is.
It's not that bad
Regards
Amena

[AG2012]

Yes, there are coconut bugbears with eyes, actually always with eyes, but never made of glass (at least what I have seen). Glass eyes for dolls were high end products, still available from Switzerland (my experience in Berlin for Steiff animals missing glass eyes).Bugbears eyes were made of bone with various material for iris, e.g. bone set in ebony wood rings. As suggested, silver rings settings are not difficult to set within the holes.
Regards

[dragonflywink]

Eh, my experience has been different, and have seen quite a few bugbears with glass eyes, typically round with a pupil, like those found on stuffed toys, have also seen mother of pearl, and other materials as well. Hard to tell what this one's eyes were made of since it's an unusual example...

~Cheryl

[dragonflywink]

Should also mention that a 'bugbear' was a troublesome being like a boogeyman or hobgoblin - no idea of why he's holding an acorn in his mouth.

~Cheryl

[oel]

To carry a acorn perhaps for;
https://gemmaj.co.uk/acorn-symbolism-a- ... good-luck/

Peter.

[dragonflywink]

From Pinto's 'Treen and Other Wooden Bygones' (1969):






Some examples of glass-eyed bugbears:






~Cheryl

[amena]

Thanks everyone for the inputs.
You learn a lot in these forums
I tried to imagine what the lid with ivory or glass eyes might look like.
The result is a bit rudimentary, but you can get the idea.





I'm not shure if it's worth trying to apply something in the holes, without knowing what was there originally.

[AG2012]

Try ALTE Puppenaugen on German eBay; they are not expensive and worth trying. Better than holes anyway.
Regards

[JayT]

Hello Amena
Acorns are a favourite food of black bears. They eat up to 5kg of the nuts/day in the autumn as they put on weight in preparation for hibernation.
Regards

[amena]

Hi Jay T
Another possible explanation of the acorn in the mouth.
I tried to make two eyes with ivory and black horn.
heres the result.
Is it worth gluing them?

What do you think?

[JayT]

Hello Amena
Personally I prefer your model with the cognac coloured glass eye with black pupil as being more naturalistic. The muzzle of the animal is done in a very realistic style, so I think the ivory eye is too prominent and clashes with the colour of the coconut shell.
But this is a question of taste and opinion.
Regards.

[amena]

The thing is, the ivory ones I'm able to make myself the exact size required by the hole, while the glass ones I should find them already made to that size.
But I could try to dye them....

[JayT]

Sounds like a fun project whatever you choose.
Regards

[amena]

Better?

[dragonflywink]

To my eye, you've done a beautiful job...

~Cheryl

[JayT]

Looks great. Congratulations!

[amena]

Thanks for the appreciation, and also for the constructive criticism
Best
Amena