Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1917 | Letter opener with engraved silver mount.

Margin SchemeRestricted Species

Lot Closed

May 13, 04:53 PM GMT

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property of a Gentleman

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1917

Letter opener with engraved silver mount, owned by Sir Ernest Shackleton

ivory and elephant seal (?) tooth letter opener, the tooth handle with silver mount engraved 'SHACKLETON / ANTARCTIC / EXPEDITION 1914-16', 248mm long

This letter opener was presumably a relic of Ocean Camp, Patience Camp or Elephant Island.

PROVENANCE:

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922), and thence by family descent; Christies Polar Sale, London, 25 September 2001, lot 99; Private Collection, UK

This lot contains ivory. Due to recent changes in the laws of many countries (e.g. US, France) Sotheby's recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. For example, US regulations restrict the import of elephant ivory and prohibit the import of African elephant ivory. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with CITES licence applications where a buyer elects to either collect or arrange their own shipping, nor will Sotheby's assist with the international movement of ivory by air, either as freight or through hand carry. Sotheby's shipping will only assist in shipping the lot to either domestic UK or EU destinations, where delivery is made by road transport. A buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation.