It would be recent David. The patination is no trick at all. Even the appearance of old ivory with a judicial crack here and there is no trick.
Personally I like this sort of thing very much. As Marco says, this style of work is very expensive, but it is often exquisite.
Don't get me wrong:- I like simplicity too, and I like something that only prioritises the excellence of carving, but in really topline Bali dress the very best is most often really over the top. Its a cultural thing:- understatement is just not the Balinese way. Perhaps our natural inclination might be for quiet excellence, but that just doesn't fit with the exhuberance of Balinese art.
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