Pair of Igorot tribesmen figural wood carvings depicting hunter and huntress with companion canines, weaponry, and displayed on circular fluted plinths.
Appears to be carved out of a large log of solid teak or similar. Each approximately 5 feet tall and 17-18 inches wide. Minor cracks in wood on both items. Earrings on both items are off (three are still extant and included).
I purchased these in the early eighties on a car trip from Michigan to Florida. Purchased from one of a chain of gas stations/fireworks/gift stores in Tennessee off the interstate, the inventory for the latter two product lines coming from the Philippines. Manager said owner of the chain was a lawyer who regularly traveled to the Philippines to purchase fireworks and would also add gift items for his stores into the container. Manager said that the statutes were of a magnitude greater than other items in gift store (as I could see) and no one until me had expressed any interest. Couldn't fit in my car so had them shipped to my home in Illinois.
Other
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Thank you for submitting your items for appraisal. There is very little to add to your description. The wood carvings in your possession can best described as commercial folk art with an exotic ethnic touch. In the 1980s people became more and more interested in indigenous people which resulted in the production of related items, which are not native tribal artefacts. As you have noticed when you purchased the statues, there was only a limited demand and this situation hasn´t changed today. If put up for auction the estimate would be in the range listed above. You most likely paid much more in the 1980s, but general taste has shifted and wood carvings have always been difficult to sell on the secondary auction market.
