A SCRIMSHAW WHALE TOOTH
Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more
A SCRIMSHAW WHALE TOOTH

AMERICAN, CIRCA 1831

Details
A SCRIMSHAW WHALE TOOTH
American, circa 1831
Engraved with a portrait of John Adams and inscribed John Adams/Patriarch of Pitcairns Island
6 in. high
Literature
Charles H. Carpenter, Jr. and Mary Grace Carpenter The Decorative Arts and Crafts of Nantucket (New York, 1987) figs. 162, p. 173.
Special notice
Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

A highly detailed example, this scrimshaw tooth is an extremely rare in that it can be traced to a particular engraving. Based on a portrait of John Adams (1768?-1829), published as an engraving in 1831, the tooth commemorates the infamous mutineer who had been living on Pitcairn Islands since 1790. As the last surviving mutineer of the HMS Bounty, Adams was discovered by Captain Mayhew Folger in 1808, whereupon he was granted amnesty for the mutiny.

While the story of the Bounty was familiar to most whalers of the 19th century, this scrimshaw tooth provides an insight into popular opinion of Adams. Referred to as the "patriarch" of the Pitcairn Islands in the inscription, the artist possibly expresses his admiration for Adams. In addition, the angel engraved above Adams' head is a probable reference to Adams' conversion to Christianity following years of alcoholism, illness and murder during the first years of the settlement of the Pitcairn Islands.

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