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A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth dated 1832 8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length. image 1
A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth dated 1832 8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length. image 2
A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth dated 1832 8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length. image 3
A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth dated 1832 8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length. image 4
Lot 3049Y

A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth
by Stephen C. Christian; American, dated 1832
8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length.

26 January 2011, 13:00 EST
New York

US$20,000 - US$30,000

A rare scrimshawed sperm whale's tooth
by Stephen C. Christian; American, dated 1832

engraved on the recto with portrait of the three masted whaler Swift, the verso with decorative engraving of a whaler, the American Eagle and whale chasing scene lettered: Engraved by Stephen C Christian off Cape Horn July 23rd 1832/Ship Swift taking two 80 bbls whales/Death to the living/Long life to the killers/Success to sailors wives/And greecy luck to whalers(sic).
8-3/4 in. (22 cm.) length.

Footnotes

The New Bedford whaling master, Stephen Christian, is recorded as having been an officer on the Swift between 1830-32.
A whaler named Swift is recorded as having departed from Nantucket August 3rd 1831 for the Pacific and returned on 28th October 1834 with 1,868 Bbls. of sperm oil.

Literature:
Stuart M Frank, Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists, p. 30; Alexander Starbuck, History of the American Whale Fishery, Vol. 1, p. 284.

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