4707

Mid-19th Century

PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TEETH ON AN ELABORATE WHALEBONE STAND

Both teeth with very fine bust portraits of gentlemen, one in uniform identified in script lettering as "Napoleon" and the other in jacket and stock identified in similar script lettering as "W.C. [...]" (chips obscure full name). Both portraits with delicate floral and foliate surrounds. Two-tier stand with turned whale ivory spikes at the corners and a turned walrus ivory central column with ebony spacers. Teeth set on oblong whalebone arms extending from the stand.
Total height 8.5". Width 10". Teeth lengths approx. 6.5".
Condition: Old chips to the base of the tooth with the gentleman in jacket, obscuring his full name. Scattered age lines. Visible secondary dentine.
This item is not available for international delivery. Please be aware of your local regulations regarding the sale of marine mammal parts 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:
    James Abbe.
    The Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby's New York, December 16-17, 1983, Lot #489.
    Rafael Osona Auctions, The Barbara Johnson Collection of Scrimshaw and Whaling Artifacts, August 14, 1993, Lot #92.
    Private Collection.
    Eldred's, The Marine Sale, July 25, 2019, Lot #11.
    Private Collection.

    Illustrated:
    Wandering Whalemen and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis Port, Mass.:, 2021), p. 264, plate 14.48.

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February 28, 2024 9:30 AM EST
East Dennis, MA, US

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