PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TEETH DEPICTING BRITISH THEATRICAL FIGURES Attributed to the Juvenile Theater Engraver. Both teeth depict...

PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TEETH DEPICTING BRITISH THEATRICAL FIGURES Mid-19th Century

Attributed to the Juvenile Theater Engraver. Both teeth depict men in dramatic poses, poised on the deck of a ship, pointing pistols at the other and with cannons at their feet. One man is a sailor holding a British flag on pole. The other is a pirate holding a sword, an image sourced from the theatrical print "Mr. Yates as The Red Rover" published by John Kilby Green in 1842. Both mounted on stepped whale ivory bases. Overall heights 6".

According to Dr. Stuart M. Frank, Senior Curator Emeritus of the New Bedford Whaling Museum and founder of the Scrimshaw Forensics Laboratory, the Juvenile Theater Engraver's work, in addition to stylistic similarities, is also characterized by highly polished teeth with sharply pointed tips.

Provenance:

Walpole Antiques, London.

The Collection of Paul Vardeman.

Condition: Sailor tooth with old shallow chip at tip, mostly on edge and reverse. Pirate tooth with faint age crack that wraps around from obverse to the reverse. Crack is mostly visible on edge. Both with additional typical age lines, mostly concentrated at base of tooth and and on the stepped base.

This item will not be shipped internationally without a CITES permit. Obtaining CITES and any other necessary permits is the obligation of the buyer.

Please contact Eldred''s 48 hours prior to the auction start time with condition report requests. Please do not bid on any item without reading the condition report. The absence of a condition report does NOT imply that an an object is free of defects or restoration. Please contact Eldred''s before bidding with any questions as to condition. Condition reports are provided as a complimentary service and only reflect the opinion of Eldred''s and should not be taken as a statement of fact. Condition reports only detail flaws or restorations and do not take into account wear, fading, or other issues consistent with an object''s age.