This group of 3 figures is also made from a lightweight softwood, initially ‘Tea Rose’ coloured – darkening with age.
It is an effective base for hot poker work and none of them are polished.
These are Oryx, which are a large antelope that can survive in near-desert conditions in huge herds consisting of many hundreds of them.
These are two Gazelles, but they show the markings of at least two different species!
Tortoise. This may be a Leopard Tortoise which is found in the savannas of east and south Africa.
All the figures were purchased by paying the full asking price (without haggling) and many were less than a cup of tea in the dining car!
They were all collected in East Africa, mainly from Tanganyika – now Tanzania, during the early 1950’s.
Joe Lucas August 2012
See Joe’s next article: [15] Comfort in solitude: uplift
Or Joe’s first article: [1] African 1950’s Safari introduction
