Email Sotheby's and they will usually be very happy to let you know more about it and its value.

You could try Antiques Road Show too...

It's odd, but kinda cool. I can't wait to hear if it actually is something interesting!!

Just looking at it, I'd believe the story that it's Haitian.

It looks like folk art done by slaves or descendants of slaves.

I'm sure someone's going to be horrified that you're keeping it in the backyard ...

Amazing piece, I agree that it has the look of slave-art about it.

But termite holes add to the patina.

You are probably right. Supposedly it was kept outside at the parents house. We had it hanging in our stair well before we moved here, but now we have no wallspace large enough to accomidate it. It was in our garage until recently when we moved it to the back covered patio... but it was really too heavy for the hanger it was on...now it is sitting right out side the garage again... simply because Flint moved it there verses actually back in the garage. In any case... it is in the same condition it was in when we got it.

I would love to unload it... it is pretty terrifying... while there is a certain interesting quality to it it seems sort of like us having a Mammy Cookie jar or a lawn jocky... and well its just scary... my mother in law was convinced it brought bad spirits. I just really have no room for it.

You might be able find it in here:

http://www.designtoscano.com/ancillary/sitemap.do

Hey, I was going to post this thing on The Cellar.

Wouldn't it be cool to be that person on Antiques Roadshow who finds out the piece of crap in their back yard is worth $175,000 or summat?

It would be so awesome that I'd give you a BJ in front of Gawd and the whole world. ;-)

Guess we need to take some better pics... front and back

Hey remember how horrified we were when he presented it to us... lol

I hope you mean pictures of the carving.

Lol... yes... picture of the other would be a whole different thread

There used to be a doodads thread..

I like carvings. That is a really nice piece.

::scratches head, trys to decide whether to pour another scotch or try to find the doodads thread::

++++I'd like to know what type of wood it is. It has held up nicely.

I vote, have a couple more scotches and then try and find it. lol

You could be looking a long time... :D

Pooka,

That is definitely a Haitian fetish associated with Hoodoo (not VooDoo). Typically it would be placed on or near an altar. I am unable to date the piece without examining for tool marks, etc. If this is a late 20th century piece, it would be worth $200-$300. If it was a 19th century carving, it could easily go for more than $10,000