4034

Circa 1825-1829

ICONIC POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH BY EDWARD BURDETT

The first documented piece of American scrimshaw, extensively published and thoroughly researched, providing clues that helped make important advancements in scrimshaw scholarship. Depicts a port profile of the three-masted whaleship "JAPAN - Bound to the USA", titled below within a rope-bordered cartouche. The tooth exhibits several characteristics typical of Burdett's workmanship: the expertly detailed rigging, the finely engraved sail seams and reef points, the delicately shaded sails, the deep intaglio-carved ship's hull filled with sealing wax, the stylized water formed by a pattern of deeply engraved crescents, and a berry vine border at the base. Notably, the three visible whaleboats clearly show a pair of gripes holding each whaleboat in place; Burdett may be the only scrimshaw artist who chose to show gripes rather than davits as an alternative means of safely securing whaleboats to the ship. The ship is flying assorted pennants and flags from the masts and a large American flag off the stern, colored with various sealing wax. The flag is particularly boldly rendered, with a thick and deep top line, providing a wonderfully dynamic sense of movement.
Length 5.75". Includes a whalebone and wood stand.
Condition: Condition: The tooth is in excellent condition with a few typical age cracks on the reverse and a small chip to the back of the tooth's base. There is some loss of pigment in the Hull.
**This item is not available for international shipping. Please also be aware of your own local laws and regulations and bid accordingly.**


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. 

  • Provenance:
    The Collection of Paul Vardeman, noted scrimshaw collector and scholar.
  • Exhibited:
    Cahoon Museum of American Art, Cotuit, Massachusetts: "Scrimshaw the Whaler's Art", June 29- October 30, 2022. The tooth was the lead image on all exhibition literature and websites.

    Illustrated:
    Wandering Whaleman and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis, Mass.: Alan Granby, 2022), on the front of the dust jacket and on p. 32-33 with description.

    "The Japan: Mystery of Burdett's 'Missing Years' Solved" by scrimshaw scholar Paul Vardeman,
    Scrimshaw Observer , Vol. 4, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2020, p.1-3, lead photograph and states this tooth was Edward Burdett's first work.

    "The Two 'Burdetts' - Edward Burdett and the Britannia Engraver; Part One" by Paul Vardeman,
    Scrimshaw Observer , Vol. 6, No. 1, Winter 2022, p. 1-8 with images and description of this tooth.

    "The Two 'Burdetts' - Edward Burdett and the Britannia Engraver; Part Two" by Paul Vardeman,
    Scrimshaw Observer , Vol. 6, No. 2, Spring 2002, p. 1, 6-15, with detail photos of the flag and the berry vine on this tooth on p. 10 and and a photo of the whole tooth on p. 15.

    "Waterborne Crafting",
    The Wall Street Journal 's Arts in Review section, August 1, 2022, p. A13.

    "Scrimshaw: The Whaler's Art",
    Antiques and the Arts Weekly , July 26, 2022, p. 30-31.

    "The Whalers Art- Scrimshaw",
    Incollect Magazine , Summer 2022, p. 82-86.

    "Of Ink And Bone",
    Cape Cod Life , July 2022, p. 47-53.

    "Scrimshaw - the Whaler's Art",
    American Art Review , Summer 2022, p. 76-81.

    "A Mariners Fancy",
    American Fine Art Magazine , July/August 2022, p. 48-55.

    References:
    This tooth is very similar to one that appears on the dust jacket cover of the Stuart Frank's book Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport, 1991).

    The
    Japan sailed from Nantucket on voyages between 1822 and 1849, then later from Fairhaven and New Bedford. She had a different captain for each voyage. The below chart was taken from "Whaling Masters and Voyages Sailing from American Ports, a Compilation of Sources" by Judith Navis Lund (2001) p. 530-531:
    Vessel Name Rig Hailing Port Depart Return Master
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1822 1825 Hussey, Shubael
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1825 1829 Chase, Shubael *
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1829 1832 Lincoln, John
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1832 1834 Plasken, William
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1834 1837 Hiuller, Edwin
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1838 1841 Tobey, John
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1841 1845 Riddell, Benjamin F.
    Japan Ship Nantucket, MA 1845 1849 Riddell, Valentine S.
    Japan Ship Fairhaven, MA 1855 1859 Dimon,Francis L***
    Japan Ship Fairhaven, MA 1855 1859 Mate****
    Japan Ship New Bedford, MA 1859 1863 Grant, Charles

    Notes:
    Paul Vardeman conducted extensive research on Edward Burdett, the ship
    Japan and this tooth, which was part of his collection. Edward Burdett (1805-1833) is considered one of America's earliest and finest scrimshanders. He was born on Nantucket, the son of a merchant sea captain, and he made his first whaling voyage at the tender age of 17 on the Nantucket whaleship Foster under Captain Shubael Chase. The Foster 's logbook lists Edward Burdett as a crew member, establishing a clear relationship between Captain Chase and Burdett. Foster returned to port December 27, 1824, and Chase's next command was on the Nantucket whaleship Japan , which sailed December 20, 1825. While there is no written evidence at this time that Burdett joined Chase on this voyage, which lasted until March 18, 1829, it is presumed that this tooth, titled "JAPAN- Bound to the USA" is evidence that Burdett was aboard.

    Nantucket whalers were known to hunt the rich whaling grounds off Japan, as seen in four paintings depicting the whaleship
    Spermo , which sailed to the Pacific from Nantucket in 1820. Spermo has "greasy lucky" on its one and only whaling voyage, returning home in 1823 with 1,920 barrels of oil. The titles of the paintings, which are among the earliest works illustrating American whaling, as well as letters from crewmen, indicate the vessel was plying the Japan whaling grounds, which had been discovered by Captain Joseph Allen of the Nantucket whaleship Maro .

    The discovery of this tooth, placing Burdett aboard the
    Japan from 1825 to 1829, solved a longtime mystery of Burdett's whereabouts between his voyage aboard the Foster and his later documented voyages on the William Tell (1829-1833) and the Montano (1833). Published before this tooth came to light, the Kendall Whaling Museum's 1991 monograph "Edward Burdett, 1805-1833, America's First Master Scrimshaw Artist", by Joshua T. Basseches and Stuart Frank, discusses the gap in Burdett's whaling history and records his other whaling voyages and known teeth.

    Because several signed examples of Burdett's work exists, we know he scrimshawed whales teeth and developed a very recognizable style, including deeply carved ship hulls, the use of colored sealing wax and other distinctive stylistic elements.

    Burdett continued whaling until November 1833, when he was killed while serving as a first mate aboard the Nantucket whaleship Montano. Just 28 years old, he was entangled in line, dragged by a whale overboard, and drowned. In his short but prolific career as a scrimshander, he produced what are widely considered masterpieces of the genre.

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