SCRIMSHAW & WHALING
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SCRIMSHAW & WHALING
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4.02 WHALE BONE FID. Good size scrimshaw tool in the form of a large fid or “Marlin Spike” turned out of a solid piece of dense bone from the jaw of a whale. This interesting sailor’s tool measures just over 11 inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter at the widest point. A hole was drilled into the blunt end to accommodate attachment of a thong. One narrow strip exhibits a unique mottled effect where a darker brown substance was used to fill cavities along one side. Bargain priced. 189
Provenance: The Pawnshop, Las Vegas, Nevada, site of the History Channel’s top rated television series "Pawn Stars."
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4.98 SCRIMSHAW DIPPER. Exquisite mid-1800’s
American whaleman-made dipper used to apportion a sailor’s
ration of grog or water. This splendid piece of
functional shipboard scrimshaw consists of a coconut
shell bowl fitted to a whale ivory connector using copper
rivets. The connector attaches to the sculpted rosewood handle
with 8 facets which terminates in a beautifully carved fist made of
whale tooth ivory holding a suspension loop. The anatomically
perfect fist even depicts the fingernails on each finger! It
has a distinctive cuff inlaid with 3 baleen “buttons” and
is connected to the handle with a whale tooth separator held with a
copper pin. The quality and condition of this dipper defy
elaboration. 16 ¼ inches long and 3 ¾ inches wide on
the bowl. It is museum quality and worthy of the finest
collection – certainly one of the finest examples of its type
ever! We are proud to be able to offer it.
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4.97 SCRIMSHAW PIE CRIMPER. Fine
mid-19th century American whaleman-made scrimshaw pie crimper or “jagging
wheel” made entirely out of whale tooth ivory, baleen, abalone
shell, mother of pearl and silver. This classic example of
utilitarian scrimshaw consists of a crenelated whale ivory wheel held
with a silver pin between two struts in the form of eagles’
heads inlaid with abalone. The ivory struts are one piece with
the body of the crimper which is inlaid with circles of baleen and
mother of pearl followed by a carved band or “cuff.”
Then there is a baleen separator which is attached to a sculpted
solid whale ivory handle. This lovely crimper measures 6 3/8
inches long and the wheel is 2 inches in diameter. Outstanding
condition with typical age checks.
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4.96 REFERENCE BOOK, “The WHALERS.” Certainly our favorite amongst all of the wonderful, awarding winning Time-Life series books The Seafarers, authored by noted maritime historian, A.B.C. Wipple, and published by Time, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia in 1979. This book chronicles one of the most dangerous and exciting pursuits in American maritime history. It opens with the primitive whale fishery begun when America was a struggling colony and ends in the waning days of whaling when America had advanced to preeminence as the world’s leading industrial nation. The intervening years were dominated by the remarkable struggle between man and the world’s largest beast, played out thousands of times. It yielded oil for the nation’s lamps and raw materials for its manufacturing. Every aspect of that industry, both at sea and ashore is covered here. The lives of the men, their ships, wives, and their ports of call, all make for fascinating reading. Then there was that most amazing by-product of the whaling industry – SCRIMSHAW! Beautifully illustrated in color and black white, with original paintings, drawings, diagrams, photographs and more! Hard faux leather cover, 173 pages exclusive of index. Ex. Collection of the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society. Unused condition. 69
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4.84 SCRIMSHAW BUSK with PROVENANCE. Genuine, mid-19th century scrimshaw corset busk made from a single piece of dense panbone from the jaw of a sperm whale. This lovely example of whaleman's work is decorated from top to bottom with classic mid-19th century sailor imagery. The top bears a fanciful sunburst effigy below which are a church with a tree, a flowering potted plant, a pinwheel design, another flowering plant, geometric designs, and the bottom half of another sunburst. Each design is subtly enhanced with polychroming. The reverse bears a faintly engraved cursive inscription, possibly indicating the Ship name and maker. Closer forensic study could very possibly reveal more information. 10 1/4 inches long by 1 5/8 inches wide. Excellent original condition with a nice age patina. 895
This busk comes from the Jernegan family of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Jernegan was a well respected name in American whaling during the mid-19th century. Several masters by the name of Jernegan served on whaleships from 1849 through 1883 hailing from the ports of Edgartown, Fairhaven, New Bedford and Nantucket.
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4.40 PIE CRIMPER. Genuine, early 19th century pie crimper fashioned from whalebone and whale tooth. This utilitarian example of the whalemen's output consists of a simple, solid whalebone handle affixed to a delicate crenelated jagging wheel carved of whale ivory. The wheel is affixed between two prongs of the handle with a silver rivet. This crimper shows good age and use and has acquired a deep age patina. It is in an excellent original condition, the wheel is slightly warped with age and does not turn completely freely, as is so often the case with these old objects. Just over 6 inches long. A nice early example of authentic scrimshaw at a very, very low price. 199
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4.93 WHALING GUN. Mid-19th C.
American bomb gun made by Christopher C. Brand of Ledyard,
Connecticut. This fearsome weapon is of heavy cast iron construction
with a steel barrel and a brass site. Designed as a muzzle-loader
firing an exploding projectile known as a "bomb lance," it has a
protruding percussion cap which was struck by a large
trigger-activated hammer. This shoulder fired gun with "skeletonized"
stock and a cast steel barrel screwed onto its octagonal breech
piece, measures 37 1/2 inches long, with a 1 1/8th inch bore and
weighs over 23 pounds! This gun is in well-used condition. The
surfaces are lightly pitted with surface rust. It is missing the
removable ram rod and the cover plate on the side of the breech is a
good modern replacement. The hammer cocks to the half and full cock
positions and the trigger fires it properly. Despite its flaws, this
gun remains an awesome, displayable relic reminiscent of some of the
most dramatic encounters ever experienced between man and beast! The
price we offer here is significantly less
than a similar gun in perfect condition.
1495
Included with this offering is an authentic harpoon with folding barbs. While not original to this type of gun, it does make for a very appealing, decorative display.
According to Thomas Lytle in "Harpoons and Other Whalecraft," 1984, Old Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford, Mass., "One of the first and most popular shoulder guns was the Brand gun, originally designed by Oliver Allen of Norwich, CT to discharge a bomb lance he patented in 1846."
"Christopher Brand of Ledyard, Connecticut patented an improved bomb lance in 1852. From then on Allen's invention was known as the "Brand Gun" and advertisements for it ran in the Whaleman's Shipping List for the next 30 years. An advertisement in the newspaper 36 years later, on August 14, 1888, stated, "The Brand whaling-gun, illustrated here is so well known a description is not necessary, nearly every whaleship having 1 or more of them."
While history records that such shoulder fired guns were sometimes equipped to fire a harpoon, their primary purpose was for the Captain or Mate to deliver the coups de grace to a whale which had already been darted by the harpooner.
"There were 3 sizes of Brand guns, 1, 2 and 3. The main difference was in the bore and weight. The No. 1 gun had a 7/8th inch bore, the No. 2 a bore of 1 1/8th inches and the No. 3 a bore of 1 1/4 inches." Accordingly, the gun offered here is a No. 2.
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4.77 FAMOUS WHALESHIP RELIC. Important, identified piece of working ship's gear from arguably the most famous of all the American whaleships, the bark WANDERER. This consists of an original sheave from one of the ship's boat davits. The sheave is constructed of a single solid piece of heavy lignin vitae with a bronze center and 6 roller bearings. On the side of the sheave is affixed the old engraved brass plaque reading " LIGNIN VITAE SHEAVE TAKEN FROM ONE OF THE "WANDERER'S" DAVITS." The sheave measures 7 inches in diameter and one in thick. It is in excellent original "as taken" condition with a great old patina. An old age crack does exist in the sheave -- one which was obviously there before the brass plaque was affixed about 1925. A museum piece! 695
The venerable whaling bark WANDERER was built in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts in 1878, a vessel of 303 tons and 116 feet in length. She was the last square-rigged whaleship in service when she departed her homeport of New Bedford 25, 1924, and was wrecked the following day on Cuttyhunk Island during a severe northeasterly gale that swept the Atlantic coast.
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4.87 SCRIMSHAW REFERENCE BOOK. Richard Malley, "Graven by the Fishermen Themselves," 1983, Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut,. Soft cover, 152 pages exclusive of index. In the words of Revell Carr, Director of the Museum at the time, "The superb scrimshaw at Mystic Seaport Museum warrants the attention of visitors and scholars and through this publication will become known to a wider audience. Reading this book should inspire admiration for the handiwork of the sailor/artists and a respect for the collectors who have handed it down. Over a seven year period, author Richard Malley personally catalogued the entire collection and updated the Museum's records. As a result he was intimately familiar with this world class collection and presents it collectively in a concise manner. In 5 chapters he documents: An Introduction to Scrimshaw, the Collection's History, Decorative Scrimshaw, Utilitarian Scrimshaw, and Scrimshaw Collecting Today. Also included are 3 very informative Appendices: Scrimshanders in the Collection, Vessels Represented, and People & Places Represented. This fabulous collection is thoroughly documented with clear black and white photographs (including 4 color plates) captioned with complete descriptions, enlightening comments, source, and their Museum catalog number. Good condition noting some minor wear to the cover. Content perfect. A real joy to read and a great reference. 29
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4.88 SCRIMSHAW REFERENCE BOOK. Stuart M. Frank, "Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists," 1991, Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut. Hard cover with dust jacket, 185 pages exclusive of indices. The first book ever written which documents the authorship of thousands of original scrimshaw items produced by whalemen and sailors in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Frank opens with the history of scrimshaw then painstakingly documents every item of scrimshaw with a known maker, and even many more objects known to have been made by the same, but yet unidentified makers! In his typical scholarly fashion, Dr. Frank lists biographical sketches alphabetically with extensive information about the maker, his background, seagoing life and scrimshaw production. Nicely illustrated with professionally-taken black and white photography. Complete with a taxonomic and geographical index, an index of public repositories by maker and an index of vessels! As new. Our price less than used copies on Amazon. 79
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4.86 WHALE IVORY SHAKERS. Charming pair of matched salt and pepper shakers made entirely of whale tooth ivory! Each shaker has been turned from a solid whale's tooth which was hollowed out on the inside and then meticulously threaded so that the top is removable for filling! The sides of the shakers are carved with an "S" and "P" respectively. Both shakers stand upright and are just under 4 inches tall by 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Early 1900's. Perfect condition. 449
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4.81 WHALESHIP COMPASS. Genuine
mid-19th century American ship's boxed compass from a New Bedford
whaler. This large dry card compass has a beautifully-engraved paper
card with an ornate, fleur-de-lis marking North. The other cardinal
and intercardinal points are identified with additional embellishment
on the East point, a carryover in compass making tradition since the
Crusades of the Middle Ages! The compass rose is divided down to 1/4
points. At its center is the brass pivot with agate cap, encircled by
the paper label bearing the signature of "*C. R. SHERMAN & Co.*
NEW BEDFORD." The large, weighted brass bowl has its original glazed
cover and is suspended within gimbals in its original dove-tailed
pine box measuring 10 inches square and 7 inches high. Overall
condition is excellent noting that the sliding cover is missing and
there is an old repair on the bottom of the box. The compass card
itself is 6 1/2 inches in diameter and is in perfect
original condition. Fully functional.
1295
Charles R. Sherman worked for John Kehew in New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1849 to 1859. In 1865 Sherman took over the business as "C. R. Sherman & Co.," 49 North Water Street. In 1873 he changed the name of his company to simply Charles R. Sherman. That name remained until Sherman took his son into the business in 1881 when the firm name became Charles R. Sherman & Son. (M.V. Brewington, "The Peabody Museum Collection of Navigating Instruments," 1963, Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.) Accordingly, it can be established with certainty that this compass was in New Bedford no later than 1873 -- the heyday of the American whale fishery! However, the fact that it bears a decorated East point indicates it is actually of much earlier manufacture, and came to Sherman for servicing or was resold by him.
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4.79 WHALING REFERENCE BOOK. Bill Spencer, "Harpooned," 1980, Crescent Books, New York. 190 pages exclusive of index, hard cloth cover with dust jacket and protective outer cover. This books documents the quest of whale hunters through the centuries: from the earliest primitive encounters by Indians and Norsemen through modern, mechanized decimation at the hands of the Russians and Japanese. Of course great emphasis is given to the "Golden Age" of Yankee whaling in the 19th century. The copious black and white illustrations are as wide ranging as is the narrative: Medieval misconception about leviathans, early engravings, paintings, early photos of the ships and men, and the entire gory process from snaring the behemoths to the final marketing of the resulting product! Without question, this is the most comprehensive book covering the history of the whaling industry, start to finish. As new condition. 49
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4.78 BONE BUSK. Very large mid-19th century lady's busk fashioned by a whaleman out of a single piece of the dense bone from a sperm whale's jaw known as "panbone." This lovely example is quite thin, yet broader and longer than most, measuring exactly 14 inches long by 2 inches in width. Rather than being rounded on each end this busk is ever so slightly tapered allowing it to more readily be slipped into the slot of a corset. Condition is outstanding with a great old patina and slight staining, as expected of such a utilitarian example of scrimshaw. With engraved scrimshaw busks selling in the several thousands, this large untouched example is a bargain. 549
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4.75 VERY EARLY SCRIMSHAW BOX. A very
rare identified and dated example of whaleman's work embodied in a
reticulated baleen box. This early form scrimshaw ditty box is made
using laborious cut-out "silhouettes" rather than engraved designs
typical of later baleen examples. Scores of these silhouettes
surround the entire circumference, including a wide variety of
varying birds, a dog, a horse and even a hunter with rifle shooting a
duck! Then there are the well-recognized sailor designs too such as
pin wheels, hearts, star bursts, crescent moons, angel wings and
complex geometrical patterns. These finely detailed decorations would
have been difficult enough to engrave, let alone cut-out with such
delicate precision! The baleen used in making this box consists of
one long piece wrapped twice, forming two layers, riveted together
with colored paper sandwiched in between. It terminates on the
outside with a single classic "Shaker-style finger." The top and
bottom of the box are pine wood pinned through the baleen. The lid so
formed, fits on with a nice press fit. Of particular note is the fact
that the underside of the lid is signed in pen, "March 14th 1819
Nancy Caminius" and the top is carved with the initials "NC". The
date of 1819 makes this example one of the earliest known dated
scrimshaw in existence! Bear in mind, the first signed and dated
scrimshaw was produced by Frederick Myrick on the whaleship SUSAN
some ten years later! The overall condition is excellent and very
sound. There are two cracks in the rim of the box which are covered
by the lid. A couple of very minor losses exist in the geometric
designs. And as expected, the underlying paper is faded with losses.
Remarkably though, there is no worm damage typical of most old baleen
and there are no other cracks, chips or losses! 6 inches in diameter
by 4 inches high. A museum piece!
In his landmark work on scrimshaw, "Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, 1972, N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., New Milford, Connecticut, author Norman Flayderman depicts a cut-out busk on page 166 with the caption "A rare form of fully pierced busk, courtesy Nantucket Historical Ass'n." Only one similarly pierced baleen basket is pictured in the entire book with the caption, "Those with large pierced open-work are often backed with colored paper of tinfoil to accentuate their delicacy." Neither Michael McManus in "A Treasury of American Scrimshaw," nor Martha Lawrence in "Scrimshaw The Whaler's Legacy" depict an example of a cut-out baleen box!
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4.74 CRIBBAGE BOARD. Simply amazing Eskimo "scrimshaw" cribbage board from the early 1900's. This impressive cribbage board is constructed from a massive walrus tusk measuring over 22 inches long and over 3 inches wide! Apart from having the standard, functional cribbage board grid, this board is a work of art! It is profusely engraved with scrimshawed scenes. One depicts a hunter in a kayak harpooning seals. Another depicts walruses above and below the ice. Another depicts a seal on an ice floe. Yet another depicts a mythical beast with walrus body and a bird's head. And still another shows what appears to be a King in a sled pulled by reindeer! If that weren't enough, the bottom is meticulously engraved in polychrome red showing a complex map of the Tundra with islands, lakes, rivers and bogs. But what really sets this example apart from so many others like it are its carved ivory figures. There are six. The first appears to be a mythical halibut. Next is a kayak. It is followed by a walrus and a bow head whale. Then there is a mythical salmon, followed by a bizarre fish decorated with a human effigy! But that's not all! The hollow of the tusk is used as a storage compartment for the game pieces -- a total of nine -- all carved from ivory. What's more the end cap is cleverly carved from a piece of wood to perfectly fit the contour of the tusk, held in place with a tight, spring-loaded press fit. 23 inches long overall. This may not be the finest example of its type in existence, but it is by far the nicest we have offered in our 32 years! Circa 1920's. 3200
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4.71 EARLY DOUBLE FLU HARPOON. Rare, genuine mid-19th century or earlier American two-flu whaling harpoon also known as an "Arctic Flu" iron. This handsome example of whalesmith's artisanry consists of a hand-wrought black iron "arrow head" forge welded to a round shaft terminating in a split cone "socket" which would have been swaged onto a tree sapling pole for darting. The "working end" of the harpoon has a distinctive squared-off shank below the tip giving way to the round shaft. 30 1/4 inches long and 3 3/4 inches wide at the tip. Circa 1850. Outstanding original condition with a variegated surface exhibiting expected good surface rust and traces of red lead paint. 1495
The inefficiency of their harpoons plagued whalers for decades if not centuries. Scores of whales and countless harpoons were lost. It was not until 1848 that African American blacksmith Lewis Temple of New Bedford developed a pivoting toggle harpoon known as the "Temple's gig" or "Temple Toggle." Word of success of the toggle iron spread quickly. In the "Whaleman's Shipping List and Merchants' Transcript" of May 31, 1853, the following account was printed, "The ship Ohio, Capt James A. Norton which arrived at this port on Saturday took all her oil the last season in the Arctic seas. Twenty-two bow-head whales were struck, making 2350 bbls. In the capture of these whales but eight harpoons were used, and not one lost. The harpoons used were toggle-irons." Needless to say the whaling industry rapidly embraced the new technology and by 1860 double-flu irons were viewed as antiquated.
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4.69 BODKIN/PIPE TAMPER. Well made 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw bodkin turned from a solid piece of sperm whale tooth. This dual purpose bodkin was alternatively designed as a pipe tamper, evidenced by the cross hatching on the "crown" top. The pointed shaft is decoratively turned with multiple ribs. Slightly over 2 1/2 inches long with a good age patina expected of such an implement. Excellent condition. 149
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4.68 CARVED BONE BODKIN. Wonderfully detailed 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw bodkin entirely hand-carved from a solid piece of dense panbone of a sperm whale. This finely carved free form example has a faceted diamond top decorated with 5 dots on each face. The top gives way to an incised, rectangular column atop a "ball." The lower portion consists of another incised rectangular section terminating in a pointed shaft. This folk art bodkin measures 3 inches long and has acquired a rich age patina. Excellent condition. 149
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4.66 TURNED AND SCRIBED BODKIN. Beautifully executed 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw bodkin turned from a solid piece of sperm whale tooth. This delicately fashioned example is finely scribed and clearly exhibits the dentine and cementum layers. It has acquired a lovely surface iridescence and a mellow age patina. Just under 3 1/2 inches in length. Excellent condition. 199
According to Dr. Stuart Frank, Co-Curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, who has personally inspected this piece, antique whale tooth ivory often exhibits a unique iridescence which was only acquired after prolonged exposure to light and air over a great period of time.
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4.65 "ARCHITECTURAL" BODKIN. Unique 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw bodkin entirely hand-carved from a solid piece of sperm whale tooth. This unusual example consists of a "stack" of 7 incised furrows in the top terminating in a bulbous pointed shaft. Remarkably, the top bears a hole which was not drilled, but actually represents the tip of the root cavity of the tooth from which it was carved! 2/34 inches long by 1/2 inch wide. Excellent original condition with a mellow age patina. 199
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4.64 TURNED AND INLAID BODKIN. Especially lovely 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw bodkin turned from a solid piece of sperm whale tooth, with mother of pearl and colorful wax inlays. This finely crafted example is short and stout with a bulbous pointed shaft and a delicately turned top. It measures a mere 2 3/4 inches long by 5/8ths inches wide. Excellent original condition with one small age crack. As is uniquely characteristic of elongated sections of whale ivory, the shaft has bowed slightly in the direction of the cementum -- a good visual sign of its authenticity. 249
Dr. Stuart Frank, Co-Curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, has personally inspected this bodkin. According to Dr. Frank, whale tooth ivory, like elephant ivory, has no enamel. The tooth or tusk consists of dentine with a cementum core. The dissimilarity of the two materials is often apparent visually, especially in whale teeth and is a good "test" for that substance. The unique warpage of whale tooth material with age was also acknowledged as having been observed and documented by The Museum.
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4.61 EARLY DOUBLE FLU HARPOON. Rare,
genuine mid-19th century or earlier American two-flu whaling harpoon
also known as an "Arctic Flu" iron. This handsome example of
whalesmith's artisanry consists of a hand-wrought black iron "arrow
head" forge welded to a round shaft terminating in a split cone
"socket" which would have been swaged onto a tree sapling pole for
darting. The "working end" of the harpoon has a distinctive flattened
shank below the tip giving way to the round shaft. Of particular
interest and greatly enhanced value is the fact that this harpoon
still retains its original old hemp seizing bent on the cone and
shank! This was undoubtedly served onboard the whaleship by a sailor
whose work was done in a very seamanlike manner. The loop, known as
the "iron strap," was secured to the tub line in the whaleboat and
was payed out around the "logger head." With this arrangement the
whale often produced the legendary "Nantucket Sleigh ride" after
being struck. 31 1/2 inches long and 3 3/4 inches wide at the tip.
Circa 1850. Outstanding original condition with a wonderful old
surface and no rust.
The inefficiency of their harpoons plagued whalers for decades if not centuries. Scores of whales and countless harpoons were lost. It was not until 1848 that African American blacksmith Lewis Temple of New Bedford developed a pivoting toggle harpoon known as the "Temple's gig" or "Temple Toggle." Word of success of the toggle iron spread quickly. In the "Whaleman's Shipping List and Merchants' Transcript" of May 31, 1853, the following account was printed, "The ship Ohio, Capt James A. Norton which arrived at this port on Saturday took all her oil the last season in the Arctic seas. Twenty-two bow-head whales were struck, making 2350 bbls. In the capture of these whales but eight harpoons were used, and not one lost. The harpoons used were toggle-irons." Needless to say the whaling industry rapidly embraced the new technology and by 1860 double-flu irons were viewed as antiquated.
Of the 40 or so irons in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, as catalogued in Thomas Lytle's book, "Harpoons And Other Whalecraft," 1984, The Old Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford, Massachusetts, only one retains its original seizing -- and that example is on a pole. This unusual "swept back arrow" example very closely resembles harpoon number 9 in the collection, identified as "Maker's mark L. COLE stamped on boss. Length 30 5/8 in."
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4.56 DECORATED BONE FID. Good 19th century sailor's whale bone fid in a miniature size. This authentic, working fid is hand carved out of a single piece of the dense panbone of a sperm whale's jaw. The bulbous shaft is octagonal at the top gradually giving way to a cylindrical shape at the bottom with a sharp tip. The top has an octagonal knob embellished with decorative cross hatching designs and is blunted to comfortably fit the sailor's palm for driving it into heavy sail canvas. 4 1/2 inches long by 5/8ths inches wide. A surprisingly nice example of a decorated antique scrimshaw tool at a very reasonable price! 129
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4.48 SCRIMSHAW. Large, 19th century
scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth with the unusual scene of two ancient
comrades in arms dressed in classical attire standing beneath a palm
tree. The man on the right wears a flowing toga and carries an
archer's bow. This large tooth has been squared off at the base and
stands upright to a height of 6 3/4 inches. 2 3/4 inches wide at the
base. Excellent original condition with the original old surfaces and
light mellow age patina.
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4.45 CUTTING SPADE. First half of the 19th century American hand-wrought steel blubber spade impressed with the maker's mark "MACY" on the blade. This substantial whaling implement has a rounded cutting edge which tapers to a ribbed support attached to an open shaft that was swaged onto a wooden pole. To secure it to the pole a pin was driven through two holes in the socket of the shaft. This spade measures 16 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide. It is in an outstanding state of original preservation, showing the telltale hand work of Josiah Macy himself. 895
Thomas Lytle in "Harpoons and Other Whalecraft" 1984, Old Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford, Mass., records only 2 spades in the prestigious collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum that are signed "MACY." Of those, one is a longer head spade while the other is shorter than the example offered here.
Josiah Macy was arguably the most famous of all American whalecraft smiths and certainly one of the earliest. He was born on Nantucket in 1805 where he began his business of providing tools of the trade to the whaling industry there. As whaling out of Nantucket waned due to the shallow harbor there, Macy followed the fleet to New Bedford, where he set up shop in 1842 on Front Street. In 1850 his three sons joined him in business. In 1857 his sons took over the business and changed the firm name to J. Macy Jr. & Co. Josiah retired around 1868 and returned to Nantucket where he remained until his death in 1880. The firm continued as E.B. & F. Macy until 1904.
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4.44 SCRIMSHAW. Authentic, second
half of the 19th century American whaleman-done scrimshaw on a
good-sized, nearly solid sperm whale's tooth. The intaglio-style
engraving depicts an equestrian dressed in formal riding attire
mounted atop his prancing steed. In one hand the rider holds a riding
crop with the reigns in the other. The engraving is done in a steady
hand using fine parallel lines to render subtle shading differences.
This hefty bull whale's tooth measures 6 1/4 inches long by nearly 3
inches wide, weighs over 1 1/4 pounds and has a nice authentic age
patina. The bottom of the tooth was originally squared off so that it
stands upright. Condition is outstanding.
The size and shape of this bull sperm whale tooth is very reminiscent of those engraved by pioneer scrimshander Frederick Myrick earlier in the 19th century.
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4.80 PERIOD AMERICAN SCRIMSHAW. Rare,
mid-19th century American sailor's scrimshaw on a walrus tusk. This
delightful example of authentic scrimshander art depicts two lovely
young women attired in neo-classical dress and carrying water
pitchers. They are surrounded by sprays of flowers with subtly
polychromed red petals. At the top of the scene a cherub-like child
carries a basket of flowers and is depicted as if dropping the
flowers on the women below. Significantly, the reverse bears a
patriotic spread-winged American eagle perched atop a banner with a
polychromed Union shield, arrows, and olive branches. This fine
example of American scrimshaw measures over 14 inches long and more
than 2 inches wide at the base with an original hole in the tip from
which it could have been hung for display. It is in outstanding
original condition with original polished surfaces and a lovely
mellow age patina throughout. One small old chip in the base on the
reverse side about 3/8 inch wide.
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7.26 SCRIMSHAW REFERENCE BOOK. Michael McManus, "A Treasury of American Scrimshaw," 1997, Penguin Studios, New York. 150 pages, hard cover with dust jacket. Without a doubt this is THE most colorful and detailed pictorial reference book ever written on the topic of scrimshaw. Mr. McManus has included over 200 full color plates of the finest scrimshaw in the world, from the collections of the then Kendall Whaling Museum, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum and Mystic Seaport Museum. The result is a stunning raisonné of every manner of scrimshaw ever produced. With each photograph the author has carefully documented size, composition and location of the object(s) and goes on to describe each fully, including maker (when known), history and function. Large format, 11 by 9 inches. As new condition and offered here at nearly the same price as published over 10 years ago! 59
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15.69 WHALESHIP PHOTOGRAPH. Late 19th
century or very early 1900's sepia photograph of the whaling Bark
CANTON underway at sea. This large original photograph shows a
starboard bow aspect of the vessel under full sail. Most likely it
was taken by the photographer while in a whaleboat, as only one of
the two starboard side boats is shown in its davits! This excellent
old image measures 15 1/2 by 20 inches sight and is housed in its
original black oak frame with fine mat under old wavy glass measuring
27 by 32 inches. Outstanding, virtually perfect original condition.
795
The venerable 227 ton whaleship CANTON was built in Swansea, Wales in 1836. According to The "Continuation of Alexander Starbucks's History of the American Whales Fishery 1876 - 1928" the CANTON first saw service as a whaler out of the port of New Bedford in 1874 under the command of Peleg Sherman on a very successful voyage to the Indian Ocean which netted 1530 barrels of sperm oil. The ship pressed on in continuous service logging at least 14 whaling voyages. She met her demise in the Cape Verde Islands on November 9th, 1910 on a voyage which began in 1909. Accordingly this photograph can be dated prior to 1909.
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20.10 SCRIMSHAW CANE. Striking 19th century sailor-carved going ashore cane with a large ivory handle in the form of a classic sailor subject, the "Naughty Nellie" leg. The large handle is carved from as single piece of walrus tusk ivory and quite surprisingly fits the user's hand perfectly! Detailing includes the outline of the shoe and the top of a stocking above the calf. The handle is attached to the lovely tapering rosewood shaft by checkerboard separators of ebony and ivory, with an ebony spacer at the top and an ivory spacer at the bottom. Overall condition is excellent with the handle showing a mellow age patina with a quite acceptable fine age crack on one side indicative of its age. The cane measures 31 and 3/4 inches high and the handle 4 and 3/4 inches long. Guaranteed period and all original. A very risqué representation for its time embodying a remarkable scrimshaw stick! 1495
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Also see catalog pages 2, 11 and 20 for more sailor-made folk art items.
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