Rosewood, mother-of-pearl, and whale ivory box with two figures Massachusetts, circa 1830-1860

James R. Bakker, Littleton, Massachusetts
Wayne Pratt, Marlboro, Massachusetts
Paul J. De Coste, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1982
David A. Schorsch, New York, New York, 1982

"Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions," New York, The South Street Seaport Museum, June 20-October 7, 2012

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 327, fig. 289

Some small age cracks in dress; minor abrasion to top surface. Star at left front painted red-orange.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Box making was a challenge for an advanced scrimshander. Indeed, many wooden trinket or sewing boxes are so refined that, were it not for the use of whale products, they would be indistinguishable from professional work.¹ These spectacularly inlaid wooden boxes with components of whale ivory and baleen are cases in point; the pulls for the compartment lids inside the sewing box are a startling group of nine upthrust, clenched fists. The sides and lid rim of the oval ditty box are made of thin strips of skeletal bone-probably "pan bone," removed from a sperm whale's jaw-bent to shape and pinned in the manner of commercial pantry boxes. The precisely incised images of the White House and the United States Capitol were taken from printed sources. The box's superb condition and refinement of construction suggest that it, like its wooden companions, was intended for home use. -K.R.M.

¹ Flayderman, Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, p. 154.