3106

Dated 1829

SIGNIFICANT "SUSAN'S TOOTH" SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH BY FREDERICK MYRICK

A particularly special Susan's tooth, showing superior workmanship, crispness of images and exceptional pigmentation, composed in the characteristic Myrick format but with rare and possibly unique elements as well as the scrimshander's archetypal motifs.

Obverse depicts "The Ship Susan of Nantucket", titled in a banner above a scene of the whaleship cutting in and three whaleboats off her bow in pursuit of whales, at various stages of capture. The ship is flying a house flag from the mainmast. To the right above the ship is a floral and foliate arch terminating in flower blossoms and surrounding rows of stars and a spread-wing eagle grasping an "E. Pluribus Unum" banner in its beak, an American shield to its breast and arrows and olive branches in its talons. Below the eagle is a partial globe. Below the whaling scene, on the edge of the tooth, is the couplet "Death to the living long life to the killers Success to sailors wives & greasy luck to whalers".

Reverse depicts "The Susan on her homeward bound passage", titled in a banner held within the beak of an eagle soaring above a scene of the whaleship approaching a coastal lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house.

A rope-bordered band inscribed "Engraved by Frederick Myrick on board ship Susan February the 8th 1829" wraps around the circumference of the tip. Tip engraved with "Union", crossed American flags and stylized rainbows on the obverse and "Hope" and a fouled anchor on the reverse. Entwined foliate vines encircle the base.

Distinctive and notable elements include the eagle clutching the title banner on the reverse, the double vine border at the base rather than the typical single vine, and the refined execution of elements at the tip, particularly the rope border rather than the simple line border seen on most Susan's Teeth, the inclusion of "Union" and "Hope", the detailed and delicate anchor, and the shaded stripes on the flags.

Included in the Kendall Whaling Museum Monograph Series No. 13 Frederick Myrick of Nantucket Scrimshaw Catalogue Raisonné, compiled by Donald E. Ridley, P.E. (Sharon, Mass.: Kendall Whaling Museum, 2000), p. 16, number 29-02-08.
Length 6.5". Includes a custom plexiglass case.
Condition: Typical unevenness at base. Age cracks at base on both obverse and reverse, both extending approx. 1.75". Two age lines, starting to become cracks, at tip, both approx. 1.5". Accompanying case with some small chips and other slight wear. **Not available for international shipping.**

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 Kobacker Scrimshaw Collection.
    Hyland Granby Antiques, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

    Notes:
    The Myrick catalog raisonné indicates the tooth was brought to Paul Madden in 1999 by the owner, from upstate New York, by whose family the tooth had been held for several generations.

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August 4, 2022 9:30 AM EDT
East Dennis, MA, US

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