Thought I’d post this here in hopes maybe someone might have some insight.

My step-dad was a marine at the embassy in Ethiopia in late 70s early 80s. When he passed in the late 90s i received a lot of items and one of them was the bowl in the attached pictures. I have no real attachment to the bowl and it has set in storage for 20 years. Would like to figure out if it has any value and get it to someone who could make use of it. Appreciate if anyone has insight or can point me in the right direction.

Thanks

I've got one similar with a lid that I was given by the Senior National Representative (military) to HQ US Central Command from Eritrea while I was assigned as a staff monkey there. I don't remember the type of wood he told me it was/is but the ornamentation is porcupine quills. He said it was some sort of ceremonial serving dish they used for special occasions. I had seen them in some of the markets in Asmara (capital of Eritrea) and also Addis Ababa (capital of Ethiopia) and Moraco when TDY a few times. I don't recall the "market prices" off the top of my head, but they weren't expensive.

No idea what the monetary value would be of your piece or mine for that matter. I do know I'll not part with mine as long as I'm alive because I got it as a gift from the SNR who I got to know pretty well over the course of several years. I don't use it for anything other than a conversation and memory piece. I had dinner with the SNR quite a few times and he had several that his wife used for serving various items in.

Yours seems to be in very good condition. Keep it for at least sentimental or unique conversation piece or nick-naks/candy dish.

M3taco I do appreciate your info and thank you for your service. I have many sentimental items/reminders of Bill that I see on a daily basis and those I will always keep and never let go. Several of them from his time in Ethiopia. He was a hard man, but taught me many lessons in the years I knew him.

For now I have moved it out of storage and onto my dresser to hold nick-naks. Although the wife let’s me put the animals on the walls, this bowl doesn’t quite go with her decor. LOL

I have one that was given to me. not like yours but similar.. I researched as much as I could on it. and found out that there is a company in Africa that has a large factory that makes them for the tourist trade.. I was amazed at the size of the lathe that they used. they could put a huge piece of any kind of wood on it and turn it down.. they seemed to use tree stumps of quite rare wood and made some nice looking pieces from it.. probably not worth a lot... but a friend gave me one when his wife died. ( he was clearing out some of her stuff) so I am going to keep it.. I set it on a table and keep Nuts in it.. she was a nice lady..

I bought a bowl at a decor/African craft store in Johannesburg in April 2019. It appears hand carved out of one of those bumps that grow on some trees (I can remember the name of the bumps - burl? ) it does not have a stand. It has a rudimentary finish on it. I have tossed the receipt, but it was between $35-65. It sits on my coffee table.

I would like to think I am helping some rural tribesmen, but I suspect some of the stuff is massed produced for tourists.

Beware of anything made out of iron or even some steel, especially if it has been near the coast. It will rust significantly before you get home. We bought some nice jewelry from vendors on the Oceanside drive in East London. Yep, rust.

It could be Maccasser Ebony the wood itself is very expensive. There are many other hardwoods it could be. I think that it is a nice combination of primitive and elegant. You should keep it in the family if anyone else appreciates it.

I doubt it is Macassar ebony, too red and no black... If I had to guess bubinga would be my first...

I have a couple of dozen wooden carvings from my five safaris to northern Namibia. On the 300 mile drive from Windhoek to Kamanjab, you take the B-1 Highway for a great deal of the way. You pass right through the town of Okahandja, which has a good sized marketplace of native woodcarvers, several dozen in all. With the strong American dollar, I have purchased some beautiful wood carvings, some for under $10 or $20. Many of the carvings I’ve given to my four grandchildren.