SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH Relating scenes of the "U.S. Sloop of War St. Louis" at sea and "The Queen of the Sea", a long-haired woman...

SCRIMSHAW WHALE'S TOOTH Circa 1845

Relating scenes of the "U.S. Sloop of War St. Louis" at sea and "The Queen of the Sea", a long-haired woman riding the back of a sea serpent, wrap around the circumference of the tooth. The Queen is wearing a shell and feather crown and is holding a scepter in her outstretched right arm. The St. Louis is flying a long pennant from the central mast and an American flag off the stern. Executed in blue-green ink. Length 6.5". Includes wooden stand.

The St. Louis was launched in 1828. She was part of the Pacific Squadron until 1831, then joined the West India Squadron, mostly as the squadron's flagship, in 1832. In 1839 she rejoined the Pacific Squadron and was the first American man-of-war to carry the flag into the port of San Francisco. In 1843 she joined the East India Squadron as flagship and was in Singapore when the first commercial treaty with China was being negotiated. In 1845 her hull was lengthened 13 feet. She sailed in South America, the Mediterranean and Africa before serving as part of the Home Squadron in 1861 in the lead up of the Civil War. During the war she mostly searched for Confederate commerce raiders in the Atlantic, though sailors from the St. Louis went ashore to assist in operations related to William Tecumseh Sherman's march across Georgia. She was laid up in 1866 and became a receiving ship and a training vessel. She was scrapped in 1907.

Illustrated in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman (New Milford, Ct.: N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., 1972), p. 6.

Condition: Old chip at tip on ship portrait side (illustration in Flayderman shows the chip). Age cracks at base extend into tooth, approx. 2.5" on portrait side and 1.5" on Queen side. Other roughness at base, possibly in the making. Blue dye stain runs through Queen's face, also visible in Flayderman.

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