CARVED HARDWOOD LION FIGURE - Africa?

NOT SURE WHAT VARIETY OF WOOD THIS IS... OAK, ROSEWOOD?? NICELY CHIP CARVED, LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE 18TH CENTURY? INCISED INITIALS UNDERNEATH I.M.J ? LENGTH: 11"
ANY IDEAS TO ORIGIN / DATE? THANKS

I think you have your caps lock on.
Is it heavy? Hard to tell the wood from the pix,
Looks well carved though.

Yes, it is heavy... Think it might be a lump of Oak, lots of age related patina... Looks to me. Could be 18thC. ??

Looks like a nice piece of mahogany or other tropical hardwood. Most likely carved in Africa or possibly Indonesia. Tourist ware, imo. Made in the latter half of the 20thC. If it was earlier I wouldn’t expect incised initials in that format

Seemingly no patina on the initials... so not sure they are real.
If it was really old they would be dark, and almost indistinguishable

I hear you. However, the initials (which don't look Asian or African) look consistent with some of the inscribed 'fur' markings on the side of the piece. These aren't 'dark'. Doesn't seem added to me... Why would you?

Any patina, commensurate with age, would be evenly all over the piece.

That's fair, but it is underneath and maybe doesn't get 'handled' quite as much? Just feels like it has some age - thanks for your incite and comments.

As you rightly say, the incised and carved areas that don’t get handled would be lighter. But as the pieces attracts natural smoke and dust from the atmosphere these areas will take on the same colour as the outer surface. And anything carved in the 19thC will have been affected by the smog and coal fires and have a layer of black soot in their crevices which are not as easy to wipe clean as the outside
An example on this vintage African piece, c.1940s. Plus natural wear on outermost edges which have been in greater contact with hands and dusters