Carved Otter by Richard Tompkins, Nova Scotia pottery tools brown for the mustache

brown for the mustache

— dates to sometime between 1900-1920

yet with a great elegance and delicacy of surface treatment

but now I'm pretty confident it is Japanese

It measures 3 1/2" tall x 4 1/8" in diameter

Carved Otter by Richard Tompkins, Nova Scotia pottery tools brown for the mustacheThis lovely otter is by Richard Thompkins (1930 1995), a renowned Nova Scotia based Canadian carver who became known in the 1960s for his sleek, highly finished carved animals, especially his otters like this one. I believe it is carved of Butternut, finished with linseed oil and lacquer. I love that it feels super mid century but also very much product of singular sensibility. Signed Richard N. S. on the underside of the belly. 7 1 2 long x 3 1 4