Vintage Carved and Painted Miniature Ship’s Figurehead of the Pequot Harpooner Tashtego
Vintage Carved and Painted Miniature Ship’s Figurehead of the Pequot Harpooner Tashtego
$1,600.00
Vintage Carved and Painted Miniature Ship’s Figurehead of the Pequot Harpooner Tashtego (from Moby Dick), by Willard Shepard (1912 – 1965), Waterford, Connecticut, circa 1950s, a half-length figure atop a scroll base in the manner of a ship’s figurehead; the finely carved and delicately painted details include facial paint, and tomahawk and peace pipe tucked into his waist sash.
In stock
Vintage Carved and Painted Miniature Ship’s Figurehead of the Pequot Harpooner Tashtego (from Moby Dick), by Willard Shepard (1912 – 1965), Waterford, Connecticut, circa 1950s, a half-length figure atop a scroll base in the manner of a ship’s figurehead; the finely carved and delicately painted details include facial paint, and tomahawk and peace pipe tucked into his waist sash.
Willard Shepard was a mid-century folk artist known for his carved whales, miniature figureheads and whirligigs. I believe his Tashtego was modeled after a earlier miniature figureheads, unpainted, that were carved by an unidentified artist in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Tashtego was the Native American harpooner aboard the whaleship Pequod in Moby Dick. Tashtego was a Wampanoag man from Gay Head (now Aquinnah) on Martha’s Vineyard. New England Indians were represented in great numbers aboard Yankee whaleships as they proved to be natural born and highly skilled harpooners. During the height of offshore whaling there were very men left in their villages as most were away whaling.
This sculpture remains in excellent condition with strong and vibrant paint.
Measures: 18 in H x 5-5/8 in W x 6 in Deep
