Lot 974
  • 974

RARE ENGRAVED AND INLAID BLACKFISH JAWBONE, CIRCA 1865

Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 USD
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Description

  • bone, abalone, and baleen
  • Height 18 1/4 in. by Width 15 1/4 in. by Depth 5 1/2 in.
Bone, abalone, and baleen.  Interior of jaw engraved with the plan of a fort and a coiled serpent, bearing a label inscribed: Feb. 1931/Sea lion's jaw brought home 75 years ago by Capt. Fisher on the barque Alaska, the outer jaw engraved with depictions of two fashionable ladies possibly taken from a printed source and a Civil War era soldier with a butterfly initialed M.B.

Provenance

Elizabeth and Raymond de Lucia Collection,
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 15, 1998, lot 205.

Literature

Martha Lawrence, Scrimshaw: The Whaler's Legacy (PA: Schiffer, 1993), p. 56.

Condition

Some imperfections and losses.
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.