Antique Sailor’s Scrimshaw Whale Tooth with Ship and Bark, circa 1850

Antique Sailor’s Scrimshaw Whale Tooth with Ship and Bark, circa 1850, sailor’s folk art engraved and polychromed sperm whale tooth with very nice starboard side view of a fully rigged ship, the deeply incised hull with false gunports, a long pennant flying from main peak, on wrap-around blue-green ocean; the reverse with similar image of a bark also under full sail. The careful attention to detail reveals the hand of an experienced tar: note the accurate and finely executed rigging, as well as reef points and dolphin striker. The obverse ship is large and well fills the tooth, while the reverse bark is a bit smaller. Overall an excellent and superior piece of whaleman’s art.

The tooth remains in very good condition with only minor hairline cracks at tip and bottom. There is an extremely old chip at tip of tooth that looks to occurred during life, prior to the scrimshanding. The engraving was done well and deep so that the image remains crisp and the colors strong. The reverse side has some shallow surface scratching, likely from laying flat over the years.

This piece of antique sailor’s folk art is engraved on a tooth from a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), is well over 100 years old, and is in full compliance with federal law as specified in the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), Endangered Species Act (1973), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Director’s Order No. 210 (as amended 2014).

Measures: 6 in H x 2-1/2 in W x 1-1/4 in Deep