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Circa 1935
SPERM WHALE-FORM BOX
Three-dimensional whale carved from pine and painted black. Charmingly detailed with eyes, mouth, fins and a graceful tail. Form may have been copied from David Baker cast iron whale ornaments made in New Bedford in the 1840s. Small hole in the side to fit a harpoon. Top lifts open to a storage compartment. Interior of top with ink inscription "This sperm whale model was handcarved by an employee of the State Street Trust Co. It was part of the center decoration of a thirty foot long table on the back piazza at 'Broadfields', Westwood. Allan Forbes and Josephine Crosby Forbes, married in 1913, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at a 'Whaling Gam' and this whale was accompanied by a model of a full rigged whaling ship and a whale boat. ... About 80 people sat down to dinner. I was 13 and was there.", signed by H.A. Crosby Forbes, December 15, 1989. Forbes (1925-2012) was the grandson of a China Trade captain and a leading scholar of Asian Export art.
Height 6". Length 23".
Condition: Areas of paint loss, mostly on the lid. Screw hole at top of head; screw missing.
The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.
The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.
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