- 560
Rare mahogany and exotic wood footstool with scrimshaw decoration Probably eastern United States, circa 1850
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description
- FOOTSTOOL WITH SCRIMSHAW DECORATION
- Mahogany, exotic wood, whale ivory, and whale skeletal bone
- 7 5/8 by 12 1/2 by 7 1/8 in.
- C. 1850
Provenance
Garrit Honig; Kristina Barbara Johnson, Princeton, New Jersey
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "The Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Part I," December 11-12, 1981, lot 437
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "The Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Part I," December 11-12, 1981, lot 437
Exhibited
"American Radiance: Highlights of the Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum," de Menil Gallery at Groton School, Groton, Massachusetts, October 15-December 15, 2002
"Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions," New York, The South Street Seaport Museum, June 20-October 7, 2012
"Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions," New York, The South Street Seaport Museum, June 20-October 7, 2012
Literature
Flayderman, E. Norman. Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, New Milford, Connecticut: N. Flayderman, 1972, p. 210
Meyer, Charles R. Whaling and the Art of Scrimshaw, New York: David McKay, 1976, p.197
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 325, fig. 286
Meyer, Charles R. Whaling and the Art of Scrimshaw, New York: David McKay, 1976, p.197
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 325, fig. 286
Condition
In very good condition.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
This footstool is a flashy demonstration of a scrimshander's skill and originality. The form, inlays, and carved swirls conform to no furniture fashion of the day, but the elements work together perfectly. Even the spired building, inlaid with skeletal bone (so called to avoid confusion with baleen, which is commonly but incorrectly called "whalebone"), appears to be a figment of the maker's imagination. The inlaid stars on the seat suggest compass roses, popular motifs in nautical folk art. The feet are of ivory and, like the legs, were turned on a small lathe. -K.R.M.