19th Century Sailor’s Scrimshaw Whale Bone Doll’s Bed, circa 1840

19th Century Sailor’s Scrimshaw Whale Bone Doll’s Bed, circa 1840, a miniature cannon ball rope bed having four tall posts with cannon ball finials above turned and scribed standards, holding a shaped headboard and a turned foot rail, over a square frame pierced for the rope weave.

A wonderful piece of scrimshaw made by a whaleman as a gift for his daughter. Like the best of folk art, the piece invites us a glimpse into the sailor’s life, showing us how he worked with the unique materials at hand in his trade, and what his thoughts lingered on while he wiled away the long hours at sea, away from his home and family for two to three years and more at a time. This is a rare and special work of art.

The bed remains in excellent condition, with no breaks and only a wee bit of warping from age. The pieces are glued together neatly, but we can not be sure if that was original to the construction or a later expedient. The roping of course has not lasted the centuries, but has been appropriately replaced with sailor’s waxed marline.

Measures: 7-1/4 in H x 9-1/4 in L x 5-1/2 in W