SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH DEPICTING KELLY THE PIRATE Attributed to Israel Young of Scituate, Massachusetts. A sawtooth and harlequin b..

SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH DEPICTING KELLY THE PIRATE Mid-19th Century

Attributed to Israel Young of Scituate, Massachusetts. A sawtooth and harlequin border surrounds an image of a pirate on the deck of a ship wielding a sword and a pistol. He has knives and other swords tied around his waist, and skull and crossbones emblems can be seen on his plumed tricorne hat and tunic. Behind him is a cannon, billowing smoke, the sails and rigging of another ship, and small figures that appear to be running away in fear. Identified as "Kelly" in lower border. Image is sourced from the frontispiece of the circa 1840 "Forget Me Not Songster".

According to Scrimshaw and

Provenance: A Third Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists by Stuart M. Frank (Mystic, Ct.: Stuart M. Frank and Mystic Seaport Museum, 2013), p. 317, Israel Young was born in 1826 in Scituate, Massachusetts. He had familial connections with Killingly, Connecticut, and at some point it's believed he and his family lived on Nantucket, from where he left on a single whaling voyage in the 1840s or 1850s. He produced five known works during this single voyage.

Provenance:

Cowan's, Cincinnati, November 17, 2003, Lot #777. The auction catalog stated "according to family tradition carved by Israel Young of Killingly, Ct. (whaleman)."

The Collection of Paul Vardeman.

Condition: Age lines at tip. Age line at base approx. 1".

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