Antique Azorean or Madeiran Improved Toggle Iron Harpoon, early 20th Century

Antique Azorean or Madeiran Improved Toggle Iron Harpoon, early 20th Century, having a low profile racy 7-1/4 inch long toggle head with sharply acute barbed cutting edge and up-swept rear barb, pivoting on flatted boss, on 3/8 inch diameter shank ending in socket with open seam. The socket retains its full tarred marline whipping. The left side of head is stamped A.B.R. Azorean and Madeiran harpoons were not marked by their makers in the American fashion so the initials here would be have been stamped by the owner, a whaling company with a name along the lines of Armacoes de Baleeriros de R____.

The harpoon is in excellent condition with uniform dark brown patina, ever so slight signs of use along the shank, and the head retaining surprising sharpness to the cutting edge.

Measures: 32 1/4 in Long

The islander of the Azores, Capo de Verde and Madeira were closely linked to the whaling trade in America, especially in New Bedford and Nantucket. The descendants of the 19th Century whalemen continued their trade of open boat whaling from shore, in a manner and equipped pretty much unchanged from the days of Moby Dick. Their harpoons were styled with a low, sleek, racy profile to the head, making a very “pretty” harpoon in contrast to the American version with its bluff, squat head. The present harpoon here is a particularly good looking example.

The Azorean Whale Fishery declined after mid century and was banned by the 1980s. The archipelago is now the largest whale sanctuary in the world.