Lot 382

Two Hand-Carved Desert Ironwood Animal Figures, Pelican and Bear

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Two Hand-Carved Desert Ironwood Animal Figures, Pelican and Bear

Estimate: $5 - $100

Current Bid: $10

(2 Bids)

by Swisher Bros. Auction
August 2, 2026 2:00 PM EDT
Live Auction
471 Frankfort Rd
Shelbyville, KY, US 40065

This lot features two hand-carved hardwood animal figurines, consisting of a pelican and a bear. Both pieces are crafted from dense, dark-grained desert ironwood (Olneya tesota), a material characteristic of regional folk art from the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The pelican figure is depicted in a standing pose with its long beak tucked against its chest, featuring incised linear details on the wings and tail. It is perched on an integral, multi-faceted base that retains the natural, rough-hewn texture of the wood. The bear figure is shown in a walking pose with an open mouth. The face, ears, and paws exhibit textural tooling to represent fur, while the rest of the body is smoothly polished. The underside of the bear is hollowed out and shows visible tool marks. No signatures, maker's marks, or labels are present on either piece.Pelican: 11 3/4 inches (H) x 4 inches (W)Bear: 4 1/2 inches (H) x 7 inches (L).

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa

Shipping

SHIPPING. Shipping may take 2 to 4 weeks. Bidders with an out of state address will automatically be set to ship unless pick-up arrangements are made during the pick-up days. We ship through a local 3rd party company, Fragile Pack, 502-423-0000. They collect all paid for items every Thursday (subject to change if schedules conflict), take them back to their location, pack it all up and will call you directly to verify the shipping address, collect shipping payment and provide all tracking information. Failure to complete the shipping, refusing to complete the shipping or in the event items are returned by the shipper due to no contact the items will be forfeited, your account will be disputed and banned from future sales, no refund will be issued. Shipping estimates unable to be given by the house and requests will be ignored. You can however, call the shipper directly at 502-423-0000 for estimates.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $299 $10
$300 $699 $25
$700 $1,499 $50
$1,500 + $100