Richard Freeman — Scrimshaw Walrus Tusk with Swans in Moonlight
A beautiful polished walrus tusk by Alaska Native Aleut artist Richard Freeman, decorated with three swans in flight against a densely stippled blue night sky. The birds overlap across the broad face, their long necks stretched forward and wings rising and spreading above a dark line of evergreen trees. A pale full moon, shaded with small dark patches, illuminates the scene. Fine incised feather details and closely worked dots give the birds volume while preserving the tusk's warm cream color as their plumage. The contrast depends on the material itself: uncolored tusk becomes the light of the moon and wings against the densely worked blue sky.
The gently curved tusk narrows to a blunt, rounded end. Its undecorated reverse shows honey-colored variation, while mottled secondary dentine is exposed at the cut ends. The broad end is initialed “RF.” Approximately 9.5 inches long × 2.5 inches wide × 1.5 inches thick.
Condition includes longitudinal hairline cracks, darker checks on the reverse, small radial end checks, surface scratches and localized discoloration. The fine stippling and feather detail remain distinct.
Richard Freeman was born in Seattle and returned with his family to Afognak Island near Kodiak when he was three months old. A self-taught scrimshaw artist working in the medium since 1981, he developed his practice alongside a long career in commercial fishing. Known for finely detailed animals and birds, he works on walrus and mammoth tusk, using color and precise engraving to create closely observed wildlife scenes. The Anchorage Museum Store identifies Freeman as an Alaska Native Aleut artist from Kodiak. Here, his delicate feather work and densely stippled night sky demonstrate the control of light and texture that gives his colored scrimshaw its appeal.
Auction Estimate: $600–$800.
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A beautiful polished walrus tusk by Alaska Native Aleut artist Richard Freeman, decorated with three swans in flight against a densely stippled blue night sky. The birds overlap across the broad face, their long necks stretched forward and wings rising and spreading above a dark line of evergreen trees. A pale full moon, shaded with small dark patches, illuminates the scene. Fine incised feather details and closely worked dots give the birds volume while preserving the tusk's warm cream color as their plumage. The contrast depends on the material itself: uncolored tusk becomes the light of the moon and wings against the densely worked blue sky.
The gently curved tusk narrows to a blunt, rounded end. Its undecorated reverse shows honey-colored variation, while mottled secondary dentine is exposed at the cut ends. The broad end is initialed “RF.” Approximately 9.5 inches long × 2.5 inches wide × 1.5 inches thick.
Condition includes longitudinal hairline cracks, darker checks on the reverse, small radial end checks, surface scratches and localized discoloration. The fine stippling and feather detail remain distinct.
Richard Freeman was born in Seattle and returned with his family to Afognak Island near Kodiak when he was three months old. A self-taught scrimshaw artist working in the medium since 1981, he developed his practice alongside a long career in commercial fishing. Known for finely detailed animals and birds, he works on walrus and mammoth tusk, using color and precise engraving to create closely observed wildlife scenes. The Anchorage Museum Store identifies Freeman as an Alaska Native Aleut artist from Kodiak. Here, his delicate feather work and densely stippled night sky demonstrate the control of light and texture that gives his colored scrimshaw its appeal.
Auction Estimate: $600–$800.
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
