T he M arine S a le
AUGUST 10-11, 2023
AUGUST 10-11, 2023
Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11, 2023
Both sessions starting at 9:30 a.m. Eastern
Location:
Headquarters: 1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, Mass. I 508-385-3116 I info@eldreds.com
Preview:
Wednesday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the sale days starting at 8:45 a.m., and by appointment
View all lots at www.eldreds.com
Bidding Options
In-person, online, phone and absentee bidding available. To register for absentee and telephone bidding, please visit our website or call 508-385-3116. Online bidding available through www.eldreds.com.
Terms
A buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price of all purchases. The buyer’s premium is 26 percent of the final bid price up to and including $500,000, and 10 percent of the final bid price over $500,000.
We accept checks, cash, money orders, wire transfers and major credit cards for payment. Credit cards can only be used for up to $5,000 of the invoice total and the card must have a U.S. billing address.
Bidders holding a Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide the certificate or copy thereof when registering to bid or otherwise will be required to pay 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases. Items picked up in or shipped to Connecticut are subject to 6.35% Connecticut sales tax. Residents of other states may be subject to state and local sales taxes.
Prospective bidders should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. It is the bidder’s responsibility to obtain a condition report, by either visiting our website or contacting us. Although condition reports may be given on request, such reports are statements of opinion only. The absence of a condition report does not imply the property is in good condition. Regardless of whether or not a condition report is given, all property is sold subject to Item 1 of our Conditions of Sale, which provides that all property is sold as is.
All dimensions are approximate.
Items made with marine mammal or other animal parts will not be shipped internationally, and some are not eligible to be shipped outside of state. Please be aware of your own local laws and regulations and bid accordingly.
Joshua F. Eldred CEO and President
Head of American and European Paintings jeldred@eldreds.com
Mary Ann Giddings Eldred Chairwoman of the Board maeldred@eldreds.com
William Bourne Vice President Head of Americana and Maritime Arts bill@eldreds.com
Eric S. Mulak Vice President Head of Sporting Antiques, Folk Art & Collectibles Consignment Manager eric@eldreds.com
Christine Berlane Prints and Multiples cberlane@eldreds.com
Duncan H. Gray Head of General Merchandise dgray@eldreds.com
Steve Dunaway Jewelry, GIA Certified jewelry@eldreds.com
Glen Krawczyk
Head of Oriental Rugs glen@eldreds.com
Anne G. Lajoie Head of Asian Arts annie@eldreds.com
Mara Alvarado Assistant Photographer malvarado@eldreds.com
Katie Callaghan Auction Coordinator Assistant kcallaghan@eldreds.com
Wendy A. Dunford Treasurer wendy@eldreds.com
Susan Eastman Client Services seastman@eldreds.com
Devyn Henry Administrative Assistant dhenry@eldreds.com
Beth McGoldrick Administrative Assistant bmcgoldrick@eldreds.com
Angela R. McParland Executive Assistant amcparland@eldreds.com
Madison Morris Head of Photography mmorris@eldreds.com
Megan Nichols Shipping Coordinator mnichols@eldreds.com
Mark Renkawitz Shipping mrenkawitz@eldreds.com
Jennifer Lacker Mystic Representative
Mary M. Kuhrtz and Christine Leofanti Gallery Assistants
Al Gray, Jim Moynihan, Steven Martins and Nick Fowler Shipping and Inventory Assistants
Cathelyn Scibelli and Camille Lajoie Office & Gallery Assistants
Cheryl Stewart Head of Marketing Catalog Layout and Design cheryl@eldreds.com
Sarah Eldred Taylor Vice President of Human Resources sarah@eldreds.com
I find that the more our society succumbs to technology, the more appealing and fascinating the study of our maritime past becomes. We take for granted such simple and routine tasks like going to the store for fresh meat and produce, and hopping in a car and getting turn-by-turn directions simply by asking our phones to navigate for us. Instead of our GPS and Google, sailors had sextants and compasses. They relied on these simple tools, and their wits, to explore the oceans, discover new lands, complete their trek, or simply just survive their voyage.
Who among us doesn't dream of setting sail, alone in the vast ocean with your fellow crew, under a canopy of stars? When my to-do list is a mile long, my inbox is overflowing and my devices barrage me with alerts, I certainly do. What was normal for the sailors of the past is now a romanticized ideal of bringing ourselves back to a “simpler time”.
Collecting artifacts and artworks celebrating these past eras provides a tangible bridge to that time and place. We cannot experience the majestic site of whaleships returning to the docks, or see the U.S.S. Constitution defeat the H.M.S. Guerriere, but through paintings and scrimshaw and other treasures left by those who roamed the sea, we can begin to feel part of it.
I am very proud of this year’s auction as I think it one of strongest and most diversified in many years. I hope there is a painting, navigational instrument, piece of scrimshaw or other piece of history that helps transport you back to the days of the mighty sailing ships and navigating, not by Google, but by the stars.
Joshua Eldred PresidentPROPERTY FROM
The Bob and Nina Hellman Collection
A Rhode Island Estate
The Collection of Michael Gill
A West Coast Collection
The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts
A Pennsylvania Collection
An Important Collector
A Cape Cod Collection
A Midwest Collection
And Numerous Other Estates and Collections
Index of Artists
Page 6-7
Session I
Lots 4001-4241
Session II
Page 4501-4862
Bidder Information
Page 202
Conditions of Sale
Page 203
Absentee and Phone Bid Form
Page 205
List of Illustrations
Page 208
Thursday, August 10 9:30 A.M.
Scrimshaw & Whaling
A Private Rhode Island Collection Lots 4001-4019
sourced almost entirely from E. Norman Flayderman
According to scrimshaw authority John Rinaldi, “NH” marks followed by a series of numbers indicates a piece was from the collection of Meylert Armstrong of Greenwich, Connecticut and New Hope, Pennsylvania, probably the preeminent collector of scrimshaw from the 1930s to the 1950s. Rinaldi claims that when E. Norman Flayderman purchased much of Armstrong’s collection he marked the items “NH”, standing for “New Hope”, followed by a series of numbers. The Armstrong Collection formed the nucleus of Flayderman’s collection, and a substantial number of items illustrated in Flayderman’s Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen are from Armstrong’s collection, with the “NH” mark visible on several illustrations.
4001. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH PATRIOTIC AND SAILING MOTIFS
19th Century
Obverse depicts an American-flagged topsail schooner, a sailor climbing a flagpole flying a large 12-star American flag, and a rectangular cartouche with two stars and “1847”. Reverse depicts a star medallion, an American-flagged ship, and a Middle Eastern-style structure with a gate and several minarets. The structure is flanked by palm trees and a portion has deep intaglio-style carving. Smaller images throughout of plants, trees, sailing vessels, a classical-style building and a saltworks pump windmill. Overlapping circle and sawtooth border encircles base. Nice patina. Length 6.25”. 6,000/9,000
Provenance:
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, marked in white ink in hollow of tooth “NH120K”. E. Norman Flayderman.
4002, obverse and reverse
4003. SCRIMSHAW WHALE IVORY MORTAR AND PESTLE
19th Century
Mortar with “Jessie” and a floral garland in a decorative cartouche topped with a six-pointed star and centering an elliptical and starburst band. Diamond border around rim interrupted by five-pointed stars. Leaf tip border on foot. Turned pestle. Mortar height 2.25”. 1,000/1,500
Provenance: E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 194.
4002. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
19th Century
Obverse with a bust portrait of Neptune wearing a blue, black and red crown and grasping a “Neptune” ribbon in his mouth, and a British three-decker warship under sail, with sailors visible in the rigging. Reverse depicts a young girl wearing a floral wreath on her head and a floral print dress, playing a harp and sitting on a large green, blue and red chair with foliate arms and moldings. Portrait backed by a halo and flanked by colorful starbursts. Black, red and blue concentric triangle design around tip. Length 5.5”. 6,000/9,000
Provenance:
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, marked in white ink “NH120E” in hollow of tooth. E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman (New Milford, Ct.: N. Flayderman & Co., Inc., 1972), p. 68.
4004. CARVED WALRUS IVORY MINIATURE NARWHAL
19th Century
Nicely detailed, including an appropriately twisted tusk. Length 7.75”. 1,000/1,500
Provenance: E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated: Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 219.
4005.
19th Century
Three with red incised banding and one with deep blue. Lengths 5”. Displayed on a contemporary stand. 400/600
4006. FINE POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE BUSK
19th Century
Depicts red flowers, a potted flowering plant, a bird in a tree, two whaling scenes and two dolphins, the images separated by geometric borders. One whaling scene depicts a whaleboat fast to a right whale and the other depicts three sperm whales. Rich, bold coloring. Length 13”. 10,000/15,000
Provenance:
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen by E. Norman Flayderman, p. 164. Flayderman remarks it is “a remarkable example of a fully colored tinted whalebone busk representative of the highest development of the art of scrimshaw”.
Notes:
By the same hand as a tooth sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, July 22, 2011, Lot #622.
4007. BANKNOTE ENGRAVER POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW
WHALEBONE BUSK
19th Century
Highly detailed work, typical of the Banknote Engraver, depicting a pineapple over four vignettes: a spread-wing eagle grasping an “E Pluribus Unum” banner while perched on a Liberty shield backed by arrows and olive branches; a sailor resting his elbow on an anchor within a bucolic landscape; a woman holding a letter and sitting in an American saber-leg chair set within a similar landscape; and a full-rigged ship flying pennants, a red and white house flag and a red, white and blue American flag. Vignettes framed by the delicate banknote-style flourishes that earned the scrimshander his moniker. Length 12.75”. 5,000/10,000
Provenance:
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, marked on reverse in white ink “NH100...”.
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 170.
4008. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH FIGURAL PORTRAITS
19th Century
Obverse depicts a figure, possibly Awilda, the female pirate, holding aloft a sword. Figure wearing a red headdress and a deep blue, black and red outfit. Reverse depicts a young girl holding a slender branch. Sawtooth design around tip and base. Length 6.25”.
4,000/6,000
4009. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH DEPICTING "THE CITY OF SALONICA"
19th Century
Obverse with a finely rendered image of the city’s waterfront surmounted by an American eagle with a Liberty shield at its breast and four American flags on poles in its talons. Panoramic view of the famed Greek city includes mountains and hillsides, houses, lighthouses and other buildings, and a harbor filled with several vessels, including two full-rigged ships in the foreground. Reverse depicts “Schooner Andr[...] 1851”, showing the schooner leaving a fortified port. Both sides titled at base. Fancy scalloped and sawtooth border encircles base. Deep rich patina. Length 5.75”.
5,000/8,000
Provenance:
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, marked in white ink in hollow of tooth “NH22004”.
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 65.
Salonica, also known as Thessaloniki, located in the northwest corner of the Aegean Sea, is now the secondlargest city in Greece. Throughout its history it has been an important port of southeastern Europe and a center of culture, commerce and transportation. Alongside Constantinople, it was a co-reigning city of the Byzantine Empire and at one time had a larger population than London.
4010. EARLY POLYCRHOME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
19th Century
Obverse depicts “The S. Nassau Off Sunday Isl. In A Severe Squal[sic] From The WSW.”, titled in a banner above a scene of a ship with reefed sails in heavy seas and a tiny face blowing a breeze at the lower left corner. Boldly dated “1835.” above ship. Reverse depicts the “S.N.S. Off The Fegee [sic] Isls.”, titled above a scene of a ship under full sail off a South Seas coastline populated with vessels, trees and a village. Similarly boldly dated “1836.” Lower edge depicts an anchor on a long chain centering the phrase “Hope Is The [Anchor] Of the Soul”. Red and blue chevron borders around base and tip. Tip also depicts an anchor on a long chain. Nice rich patina. Length 7”.
Provenance:
10,000/15,000
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, numbered in white in hollow of tooth “NH300”.
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated: Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 5.
19th Century
Depicts an active whaling scene off an island, with a three-masted whaleship, four whaleboats and six whales in the foreground and a distant whaleship partially obscured by the island. One of the whales is waifed, one of the whaleboats is under sail, and the whaleship flies an “HH” house flag. Blue water with red surrounding the whales. Pierced hole at upper center. 5.25” x 11.5”. 15,000/25,000
Provenance:
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 24.
Notes:
A similar example, from the Thomas Mittler Collection, is illustrated in Through the Eyes of a Collector by Nina Hellman (2015), fig. 111 and was sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, October 15, 2016, Lot #60.
19th Century
Depicts a skeleton watching over two shipwrecked sailors reclining on a rocky shoreline. The skeleton, probably a personification of Death, is seated on a rock in a contemplative pose, resting his chin in his hand, while the gloomy sailors, one wearing a blue suit and the other a white shirt, reddish-brown vest, and blue and white striped pants, ponder their fate. Spars from a vessel are visible in the water lower left and a dory or other small vessel is onshore lower right. The jagged towering rocks behind the sailors, which form an abstract geometric pattern, are colored blue, reddish brown, yellowish brown and gray. Includes a copy of the colored aquatint after Thomas Rowlandson “The Dangers of the Ocean Oer, Death Wrecks the Sailors on the Shore”, published in 1816, after which the image is based. Panbone 5.75” x 10.75”. Print framed 12.5” x 15.5”. 8,000/12,000
Provenance:
Robert C. Eldred, East Dennis, Massachusetts, label verso. Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, inscribed in white ink verso “NH20064”.
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 216.
19th Century
Typical of Tenney, who is also known as the “King of the Sea” artist, the scenes on the teeth wrap around the circumference and feature an oversize figure. One tooth has a statuesque classical female figure on a hillside, as well as a lighthouse flying a flag and a jaunty figure sailing a gaff-rigged sloop. The other tooth has an ancient warrior holding a spear, as well as a three-masted ship flying an American flag. Lengths 4.75”. 7,000/10,000
Provenance: E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 61.
Notes:
Examples of Tenney teeth to come to market at Eldred’s include Lot #623 in the November 21, 2013 auction and Lots #31 and 233 in the July 25, 2019 auction, one from the collection of Paul Vardeman and the other from the collection of Sam and Donna McDowell. A similar tooth to this one is illustrated in Wandering Whalemen and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis Port, Mass.: 2021), p. 75-76, and another in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 6, which was sold at Eldred’s, July 25, 2019, Lot #2.
Samuel W. Tenney’s identity was uncovered by scrimshaw historian Michael Gerstein through a tooth in the collection of Historic New England. Tenney was born in Oxford, Massachusetts and served in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Brandywine and later on the whaleship Fenelon of New Bedford.
19th Century
Tooth wrapped in an assortment of images and scenes including a portrait of a woman in a red dress and hair covering; a hilly coastal landscape with a threemasted ship in a harbor, a stately home and a flowering dogwood tree carved with a heart; a ribband with a musical clef, staff, notes and “Take Joy Home”; a floral medallion; a treasure chest; a floral cluster; a pair of bells; a book open to blank pages; and a tree-filled medallion titled “The Elms”. Sun mask design at tip.
19th Century
Obverse depicts a very active whaling scene of a whaleship, six whales and four whaleboats in various stages of pursuit. Vignette at upper right depicts a two-masted schooner off a fort. Reverse depicts a whaleship cutting in and a whaleboat heading toward a stoved boat caught in the jaw of a whale, the whalemen tossed askew and in the water. Vignette at upper left depicts a fort. Framed vignettes with quarter fans at the corners, typical for the scrimshander. Rich patina. Length 5.5”.
50,000/70,000
Provenance:
Meylert Armstrong, New Hope, Pennsylvania, marked in white ink on base “NH25064”.
E. Norman Flayderman.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 71.
The Vignette Engraver’s identity is yet to be uncovered, but at least four teeth by the same hand, all with the characteristic framed vignettes and scenes of American whaleships, have come to market at Eldred’s. One, from the collection of Thomas Mittler, was sold at the Marine Sale, July 20, 2017, Lot #11, and is illustrated in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 93 and Through the Eyes of a Collector by Nina Hellman (2015), fig. 5. The second was sold at the Marine Sale, July 22, 2011, Lot #623, and is illustrated in Wandering Whalemen and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis Port, Mass.: 2021), p. 115. The third was sold at The Marine Sale, August 4, 2022, Lot #3091.
4016. CASED SET OF ENGRAVED WHALEBONE ALPHABET TILES
Second Half of the 19th Century Tiles with uppercase letters on one face and lowercase letters on the other face. Near-complete set includes multiple tiles for each letter, plus additional vowel tiles and blank tiles. Walnut case’s fitted interior with engraved whalebone panels to identify compartments for each letter. Case height 1.25”. Width 8”. Depth 5.5”. 1,000/2,000
4017. WHALE IVORY-HANDLED ROLLING PIN
19th Century
Figured hardwood roller. Incised handles with nice patina. Length 14”. 800/1,200
4018. SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE BOXED DOMINO SET
Late 19th Century
Box cover depicts a Victorian lady on the exterior and a nude lady on the interior. Exterior sides with geometric designs, maritime scenes and crossed whaling irons. Contains 25 whalebone and ebony dominoes. Box height 2”. Length 7.5”. Width 2.125”. 1,200/1,800
4019. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH CRUCIFIXION SCENE
19th Century
Obverse depicts Jesus on the cross, two mourners, an angel holding a chalice, and a mounted Roman soldier holding a lance. Length 4.5”. 500/800
Provenance: E. Norman Flayderman.
conclusion of the collection
4020. PAIR OF TURNED WHALEBONE CANDLESTICKS
19th Century
Simplistic circular stepped bases. Heights 3.75”. 1,000/1,500
4021. PAIR OF TURNED IVORY CANDLESTICKS
19th Century Mounted on beveled hardwood bases. Heights 4.5”. 1,000/1,500
4022. PAIR OF SAILOR-MADE CANDLESTICKS
19th Century Ivory with baleen banding. Heights 3.5”. Widths 10.5”. 1,200/1,800
4023. WHALEBONE BASKET
19th Century
Flared sides comprised of crisscrossed staves and hoops held with metal pins. Walnut base plate. Height 5”. Diameter 8.5”. 2,000/3,000
Notes:
This basket is similar in form to one from the Folk Art & Americana Collection of Carl and Sonia Schmitt sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, July 25, 2019, Lot #369.
4024. WHALE IVORY PICKWICK
19th Century
Beautifully turned base with ogee feet. Coordinating turned finial on pickwick. Height 5”. 500/1,000
4025. PAIR OF WHALEBONE AND IVORY KNITTING NEEDLES
19th Century
Terminals carved as the heads and necks of graceful swans. Baleen eyes. Lengths 15”. 500/800
4026. SIZABLE WHALEBONE DOUBLE SHEAVE BLOCK
19th Century Includes rope strap and whalebone eye. Length 8”. Block width 2”. 800/1,200
4027. TWO WHALEBONE BLOCKS
19th Century
One single sheath and one double sheath. Copper pins. Lengths 2.75” and 3.25”. 500/700
4028. PAINTED WHALEBONE PANEL WITH WHALEBONE FRAME
19th Century
Colorful oil painting of an Arctic whaling scene. Beautifully carved frame. 4.25” x 7”. 1,000/1,500
4029. TWO WHALEBONE SEAM RUBBERS
19th Century
Both with faceted terminals. One with an octagonal handle. The other engraved with an anchor and “JBC”. Lengths 4.75” and 5”. 700/1,000
4030.
Mid-19th Century
Made to hang above a sailor’s bunk. Circular hardwood holder, probably walnut, carved with a compass rose at top and bottom and a diamond design around circumference of side. Height 1.75”. Diameter 3.75”.
Provenance: The Collection of Paul Vardeman.
1,500/2,500
Illustrated: Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 101.
4031.
19th Century
Obverse depicts an American three-masted gunship, identified as “Ship John” in script lettering near the stern. Reverse depicts an American three-masted ship. Foliate designs along the edge. Length 5.75”.
7,000/9,000
19th Century
Four beautifully detailed portraits of vessels and an image of a lighthouse wrap around the circumference of the tooth. Length 5.75”.
19th Century
Obverse depicts an American three-masted ship with a lighthouse and keeper’s house off her bow and an American fort off her stern. Both the fort and the keeper’s house are surrounded by green trees. Reverse depicts a coastal view of a small town with houses, green trees and an American-flagged side-wheel steamship. Length 7.5”. Fitted on an old brass base. 7,000/10,000
The first documented piece of American scrimshaw, extensively published and thoroughly researched, providing clues that helped make important advancements in scrimshaw scholarship. Depicts a port profile of the three-masted whaleship “JAPAN - Bound to the USA”, titled below within a rope-bordered cartouche. The tooth exhibits several characteristics typical of Burdett’s workmanship: the expertly detailed rigging, the finely engraved sail seams and reef points, the delicately shaded sails, the deep intaglio-carved ship’s hull filled with sealing wax, the stylized water formed by a pattern of deeply engraved crescents, and a berry vine border at the base. Notably, the three visible whaleboats clearly show a pair of gripes holding each whaleboat in place; Burdett may be the only scrimshaw artist who chose to show gripes rather than davits as an alternative means of safely securing whaleboats to the ship. The ship is flying assorted pennants and flags from the masts and a large American flag off the stern, colored with various sealing wax. The flag is particularly boldly rendered, with a thick and deep top line, providing a wonderfully dynamic sense of movement. Length 5.75”. Includes a whalebone and wood stand. 125,000/175,000
Provenance:
The Collection of Paul Vardeman, noted scrimshaw collector and scholar.
Exhibited:
Cahoon Museum of American Art, Cotuit, Massachusetts: “Scrimshaw the Whaler’s Art”, June 29- October 30, 2022. The tooth was the lead image on all exhibition literature and websites.
continued following pages
continued from previous pages
Illustrated: Wandering Whaleman and Their Art: A Collection of Scrimshaw Masterpieces by Alan Granby (Hyannis, Mass.: Alan Granby, 2022), on the front of the dust jacket and on p. 32-33 with description.
“The Japan: Mystery of Burdett’s ‘Missing Years’ Solved” by scrimshaw scholar Paul Vardeman, Scrimshaw Observer, Vol. 4, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2020, p.1-3, lead photograph and states this tooth was Edward Burdett’s first work.
“The Two ‘Burdetts’ - Edward Burdett and the Britannia Engraver; Part One” by Paul Vardeman, Scrimshaw Observer, Vol. 6, No. 1, Winter 2022, p. 1-8 with images and description of this tooth.
“The Two ‘Burdetts’ - Edward Burdett and the Britannia Engraver; Part Two” by Paul Vardeman, Scrimshaw Observer, Vol. 6, No. 2, Spring 2002, p. 1, 6-15, with detail photos of the flag and the berry vine on this tooth p. 10 and a photo of the whole tooth p. 15.
“Waterborne Crafting”, The Wall Street Journal’s Arts in Review section, August 1, 2022, p. A13.
“Scrimshaw: The Whaler’s Art”, Antiques and the Arts Weekly, July 26, 2022, p. 30-31.
“The Whalers Art- Scrimshaw”, Incollect Magazine, Summer 2022, p. 82-86.
“Of Ink And Bone”, Cape Cod Life, July 2022, p. 47-53.
“Scrimshaw - the Whaler’s Art”, American Art Review, Summer 2022, p. 76-81.
“A Mariners Fancy”, American Fine Art Magazine, July/ August 2022, p. 48-55.
References: This tooth is very similar to one that appears on the dust jacket cover of the Stuart Frank’s book Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport, 1991).
The Japan sailed from Nantucket on voyages between 1822 and 1849, then later from Fairhaven and New Bedford. She had a different captain for each voyage. The below chart was taken from Whaling Masters and Voyages Sailing from American Ports, a Compilation of Sources by Judith Navis Lund (2001), p. 530-531: Port
The "Japan Tooth" is the first documented piece of American scrimshaw, extensively published and thoroughly researched, providing clues that helped make important advancements in scrimshaw scholarship
Paul Vardeman conducted extensive research on Edward Burdett, the ship Japan and this tooth, which was part of his collection.
Edward Burdett (1805-1833) is considered one of America’s earliest and finest scrimshanders. He was born on Nantucket, the son of a merchant sea captain, and he made his first whaling voyage at the tender age of 17 on the Nantucket whaleship Foster under Captain Shubael Chase. The Foster’s logbook lists Edward Burdett as a crew member, establishing a clear relationship between Captain Chase and Burdett. Foster returned to port December 27, 1824, and Chase’s next command was on the Nantucket whaleship Japan, which sailed December 20, 1825. While there is no written evidence at this time that Burdett joined Chase on this voyage, which lasted until March 18, 1829, it is presumed that this tooth, titled “JAPANBound to the USA” is evidence that Burdett was aboard.
Nantucket whalers were known to hunt the rich whaling grounds off Japan, as seen in four paintings depicting the whaleship Spermo, which sailed to the Pacific from Nantucket in 1820. Spermo had “greasy lucky” on its one and only whaling voyage, returning home in 1823 with 1,920 barrels of oil. The titles of the paintings, which are among the earliest works illustrating American whaling, as well as letters from crewmen, indicate the vessel was plying the Japan
whaling grounds, which had been discovered by Captain Joseph Allen of the Nantucket whaleship Maro
The discovery of this tooth, placing Burdett aboard the Japan from 1825 to 1829, solved a longtime mystery of Burdett’s whereabouts between his voyage aboard the Foster and his later documented voyages on the William Tell (1829-1833) and the Montano (1833). Published before this tooth came to light, the Kendall Whaling Museum’s 1991 monograph “Edward Burdett, 1805-1833, America’s First Master Scrimshaw Artist”, by Joshua T. Basseches and Stuart Frank, discusses the gap in Burdett’s whaling history and records his other whaling voyages and known teeth.
Because several signed examples of Burdett’s work exists, we know he scrimshawed whale's teeth and developed a very recognizable style, including deeply carved ship hulls, the use of colored sealing wax and other distinctive stylistic elements.
Burdett continued whaling until November 1833, when he was killed while serving as a first mate aboard the Nantucket whaleship Montano. Just 28 years old, he was entangled in line, dragged by a whale overboard, and drowned. In his short but prolific career as a scrimshander, he produced what are widely considered masterpieces of the genre.
4035. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH SAILOR AND HIS LADY Third Quarter of the 19th Century The young sailor holding a British ensign. Length 5.25”. 1,000/1,500
5.25”. 800/1,200
4037. RARE WHALEBONE SWING-HANDLED BASKET
19th Century
Handle and sides in a conjoined circle design. The handle is original but has an unusual silver repair on one side. Wooden base. Total height 8.75”. Length 9.5”. Width 7.25”. 4,000/6,000
Mid-19th Century
A pair of polychrome scrimshaw whale’s teeth depicting American and English vessels flank a baleen panel with aperture for a pocket watch. Serpentine walnut base raised on whale ivory feet. Height 7.5”. Width 11.75”. Depth 6”. 2,000/3,000
4038. WHALEBONE DOLL’S BED
Mid-19th Century
American Empire form with turned cannonball posts and a scrolled headboard. Height 7.25”. Length 9.25”. Width 5.5”. 500/1,000
Mid-19th Century
Serpentine stand with scalloped carvings on loop handle, acanthus carvings on post, a pierced geometric gallery and scrolled feet. Includes four glass bottles. Height 10.25”. 1,200/1,800
Mid-19th Century
Lobed stand with a nicely shaped handle and turned stem. Includes five glass inserts. Height 10”. Diameter approx. 5.75”. 500/1,000
19th
Whalebone and ivory. Varied and rare forms including a looped snake, a “Naughty Nellie” and clenched fists. One with silver metal, baleen and shell inlay. Lengths from 3.5” to 6”. 1,000/1,500
Scrimshaw
Obverse depicts an eagle, an American flag and foliate designs. Reverse depicts a man dressed in a military uniform and a woman holding a fan. Foot with foliate vine. 1,000/1,500
Provenance:
Collection of Norman Flayderman. Private New York Collection.
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 199
250/350
19th Century
Depicts
800/1,200
19th Century
Wearing
800/1,200
19th Century
Depicts
800/1,200
19th
Obverse
300/500
19th Century
400/600
19th Century
Octagonal basket, each side with a scrolled top and pierced sunburst design. Corner posts with acorn finials and drops. Central turned post. Beautifully scrolled legs and feet. Height 9.5”. Width 8.25”. 3,000/4,000
Provenance:
Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby’s New York, April 29-30, 1983, Lot #469. Catalog notes the basket was “Found on Nantucket and typical of fine Nantucket work, said to have been made by a whaleship’s cooper”.
19th Century
Octagonal
1,500/2,500
19th Century
Two large whale’s teeth with polychrome scrimshaw potted flowering plants are fitted to a demilune wooden base. Shaped baleen backsplash engraved with a foliate design and verse. Whalebone panel wrapped along the front edge of the base engraved with a leafy vine. Height 8.5”. Width 14”. Depth 5”. 5,000/10,000
Obverse depicts a starboard portrait of a ship at sea below a spread-wing eagle with arrows, olive branches, a Liberty shield and a variety of draped American flags on poles, one flag with an eagle in the canton and one pole topped with a Phrygian cap. Reverse with “A.W. Green” at center. Image above of Lady Liberty holding a scrolled parchment and a large American flag on a pole topped with a Phrygian cap, standing in front of a cannon on carriage and beside an olive tree. Image below of well-dressed figures by a footbridge on a coastal promenade, looking out toward an American-flagged schooner. Some scant polychroming. Length 9”. With wood and metal stand. Height on stand approx. 12.25”. 10,000/15,000
Obverse with a full-length portrait of a native, covered almost entirely with tattoos, holding a coconut shell basket and a staff, an image sourced from the engravings in “Voyage autour du monde sur la Nadjedjeda et la Neva, 1813”, the account of Krusenstern’s early Russian expedition to circumnavigate the globe. Reverse with a full-length portrait of a woman holding a handkerchief and a flower basket. Densely inked, with some polychroming to the lower part of her skirt. Length 8.75”. With wood and metal stand. Height on stand approx. 11”. 8,000/12,000
Mid-19th Century
Half-length portrait of an attractive curly-haired lady resting her arms on a windowsill, framed within a tessellated and daisy arch and with a checkerboard panel at base. She is wearing a beribboned hat, a beaded necklace and a striped puffy-sleeve dress. Mounted on a wooden stand. Total height 6.5”.
1,000/2,000
Mid-19th Century
Obverse depicts an American-flagged three-masted ship, a spreadwing eagle with a “Liberty Constitution” banner, and a portrait medallion of a gentlemen backed by cornucopias and draped American flags. Reverse depicts a flower, a portrait of whaleship cutting in, and a whaling scene with two whaleships, whaleboats and a pod of whales. One edge depicts a ship on a full run and a sperm whale, and the other edge depicts a slender tree. Length 6”.
3,000/5,000
Obverse depicts a red and blue compass rose, a three-masted ship, and two dolphins flanking a palmette. Reverse depicts a floral sprig and a foliate garland surrounding a scene of a young couple holding hands beneath a churchyard tree. Length 6.5”.
3,000/4,000
4059. SCRIMSHAW PANBONE PLAQUE
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
Depicts a naval engagement between one American and three British warships, each flying a long pennant off a mast and an ensign off the stern. Two of the British ships are firing their cannons. Floral vine above scene. Old hanging cord, possibly original, is threaded through holes in both top corners. 6.5” x 14.5”. 4,500/6,000
Provenance:
The Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection. Private Collection.
Reference:
Through the Eyes of a Collector by Nina Hellman (2015), fig. 108.
4060. "WHALE LOG" DOCUMENT BOX
America, Mid-19th Century
In pine under its original painted decoration. Lid and all four sides painted green with brown banding around the perimeters and quartercircles at each corner. Lid, lip and front with two aligned columns of black sperm whales that resemble whale stamps found in whaling logs, though these whales were stenciled or freehand painted. Retains its original key, brass hinges and brass bail handle on top of lid. Mellow age patina. Height 7.5”. Width 15”. Depth 9”. 6,000/8,000
4061. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH ATTRIBUTED TO THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT ENGRAVER
19th Century
Obverse with whaling scene of a whaleship trying down, three whaleboats and five whales, two of which are waifed. Reverse depicts a rescue scene with an American-flagged single-deck gunship racing toward a distressed ship flying an upside down flag. Sperm whale on one edge. Red and blue details. Length 6.5”. 8,000/12,000
Provenance: John F. Rinaldi Antiques, Kennebunkport, Maine.
4062. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH PERTAINING TO SOUTH AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
19th Century
Obverse depicts a man on horseback with saber and shield, probably Simon Bolivar. Reverse depicts a soldier holding a saber and a “Death to the Spaniard” flag. Length 6”.
19th Century
Obverse depicts George Washington on horseback. Reverse depicts a man in elaborate garb, possibly a Pacific island king. Length 5.75”. 5,000/7,000
4064. RARE LONGBOAT WAIF
19th Century
Red flag on a hardwood pole. Length approx. 101”. 1,200/1,800
4065. SCRIMSHAW PORPOISE JAW
19th Century
One side of jaw depicts a sailing vessel. Other side depicts a Victorian lady. Length 13”. On a contemporary stand. 1,000/1,500
4066. SCRIMSHAW BLACKFISH JAW
19th Century
One side depicts a foliate vine and an unfinished panel. Length 18”. Width 12”. 800/1,200
4067. SMALL CABIN MIRROR OF WHALING INTEREST
America, 19th Century
Label verso states “This Mirror was used on the Preston. This Vessel was built at Commercial Point for the whale fishery by Elisha Preston one of the firm of Kidder Peabody and Co about 1833. Ruty Hildreth the Pilot on the Neponset River who lived at the point gave it to Andrew Hausman and I gave him 50 cents for it in 1891. From the Edward A. Huebener Collection”. Boxed mirror with eye hook and chain hanger. 5.5” x 6.25”. 300/500
4068. CARVING OF A SPERM WHALE AND CALF
20th Century
Detailed with teeth, eyes, flippers and fins. Height 7”. Length 36.25”. 800/1,200
Provenance:
Reportedly from the Union Oyster House, Boston. Private Rhode Island collection.
4069. CASED MODEL OF THE WHALER “CHARLES W. MORGAN”
20th Century
Hull with natural finish. Case height 33.25”. Length 37.5”. Width 13.75”. 1,200/1,800
4070. THREE WHALING LOGBOOK STAMPS
19th Century
Two whalebone and one wood. Heights from 1.5” to 3”. 500/1,000
4071. TWO ROBINSON & CO. WHALE OIL ADVERTISEMENTS
19th Century
Robinson labels affixed to mixed media depictions of whales. Smaller initialed “Y.R.J.”. Framed 9.75” x 11.75” and 14.5” x 11.25”. 300/500
Provenance:
Dingman Collection. Private Collection.
4072. WHALE IVORY PUZZLE BOX
19th Century
In the form of a ship’s hull. Nice patina. Some pearling. Height 1.5”. Length 5.25”. 800/1,000 4064
4073. CARVED WHALEBONE SPERM WHALE PLAQUE
Late 19th Century
Well-defined whale with an engraved eye and sharply carved teeth. Mounted on a pine board with whale ivory hearts inlaid at each corner. Housed in a darker wood frame. Framed 6.5” x 16.75”. 1,500/2,500
4074. CASED WHALEBOAT MODEL
20th Century
Plank-on-frame construction. Complete with whaling implements, sails, oars, etc. Mounted on davits within a wood and glass case. Case height 14.5”. Length 38.5”. Width 13.5”. 1,200/1,800
4075. SPERM WHALE-FORM BOX
Circa 1935
Three-dimensional whale carved from pine and painted black. Charmingly detailed with eyes, mouth, fins and a graceful tail. Form may have been copied from David Baker cast iron whale ornaments made in New Bedford in the 1840s. Small hole in the side to fit a harpoon. Top lifts open to a storage compartment. Interior of top with ink inscription “This sperm whale model was handcarved by an employee of the State Street Trust Co. It was part of the center decoration of a thirty foot long table on the back piazza at ‘Broadfields’, Westwood. Allan Forbes and Josephine Crosby Forbes, married in 1913, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at a ‘Whaling Gam’ and this whale was accompanied by a model of a full rigged whaling ship and a whale boat. ... About 80 people sat down to dinner. I was 13 and was there.”, signed by H.A. Crosby Forbes, December 15, 1989. Forbes (1925-2012) was the grandson of a China Trade captain and a leading scholar of Asian Export art. Height 6”. Length 23”. 3,000/5,000
4077. CASED MODEL OF A WHALEBOAT
Late 19th Century
Mostly whalebone with some metal and wooden and/or baleen components. Complete with oars, harpoons, barrels of line, a hatchet, knife, etc. Displayed on a wooden pedestal within a glass and wood case. Case height 4.75”. Length 12.25”. Width 4.25”. 1,500/2,000
4076. WHALE PLAQUE
America, Circa 1920
Four finely carved and painted whale species mounted on a red painted board. Housed in a black painted frame with a beveled interior edge painted gold. Original and nicely aged painted surfaces. Framed 22” x 14”. 1,200/1,800
4078. "LAMP OIL" CASK
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Painted chrome yellow with stenciled “Lamp Oil”, sperm whale silhouette and “Grade A Boston’s Finest”. Height 14.5”. Diameter 12.5”. 500/1,000
The endeared dean of ship model making, Peter Henrick Ness immigrated to Boston from Norway in 1912. He worked as a baker until he turned his ship model hobby into a full-time profession, working out of a basement shop in East Boston. His rich family history of seafaring helped him create a ship’s blueprint in his mind, allowing him to construct incredibly accurate models from scratch.
Unlike other craftsman who took artistic license, Ness fabricated models as if he was building a miniature ship. They are heavier and bulkier, and the spars, for instance, are thick and taper less at the ends. Ness hand-forged his own brass fittings, such as anchors, bells and wheels, he used chain instead of string, and he properly rigged through the deadeyes and the ratlines rather than using glue.
Ness specialized in models of Boston shipbuilder Donald McKay (1810-1880)’s vessels. Many Ness models have been exhibited at and are part of the collections of the Smithsonian, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Boston’s Museum of Science, and a whaler he built was displayed in the White House during the Roosevelt administration.
Ness had a brother, Olaf, of Dedham, Massachusetts, who was also an accomplished model builder.
Circa 1935
By renowned Boston ship model builder Peter Ness (1890-1976). Plank-onframe “scratch built” from mahogany, the materials and treatment consistent with the other known Peter Ness models, with each plank attached to the ribs with tiny brass nails. Incredibly detailed with a planked mahogany deck, a figurehead in the form of a whaleman poised to strike a whale with his harpoon, wood and metal anchors, an elaborately constructed anchor windlass, a raised deck house with an opening to provide light to the helmsman, ship’s wheel and steering mechanism below, an applied stern board with “James Arnold New Bedford” in gold leaf lettering above a well-carved spread-wing eagle, etc. Outfitted for whaling with a whaleboat on davits on the starboard, three whaleboats on davits on the port side, and two upside down atop a platform at the stern, the boats with a complement of whaling implements and oars. Elaborate tryworks with brick sides, copper top, pots and chimneys. A pair of hatches and a large round hand-driven sharpening stone are located behind the tryworks. Cuttingin stage at the center of the starboard side is in its working position, held by rigging and blocks. Three mahogany masts with mahogany yardarms, circular iron lookout stations near the tops of the fore and main mast, and pin rails around each mast mounted to the deck. Original red, blue and white painted “James Arnold” banner flies from the main mast. Highly detailed and accurate rat lines, standing and running rigging. Displayed in its original Peter Ness-made case on a pair of black-banded oak oil casks set into chalks atop a mahogany base with molded ebonized border. Also includes documents and ephemera; please see the complete list at www. eldreds.com. Case height 26”. Length 31.5”. Width 8.25”. 12,000/15,000
Exhibited: New Bedford Whaling Museum: “The Art of Ship Model”, February 28, 2013February 28, 2014.
Depicts “Venus pleurant Adonis” (Venus mourning Adonis), a classical mythological scene after the painting by Netscher and the engraving by Claude Niquest. Venus’s mortal lover Adonis was gored and killed by a boar while hunting and she turned him into a flower. Seen here, Venus gazes upon the flower (Adonis) while seated on a rock, her hands clasped over her breasts. Very finely engraved and shadowed, and deeply scored longitudinally around the tooth, all typical of Rockerick’s work. Reverse unpolished. Includes a letter of authentication from Dr. Stuart M. Frank, director of the Scrimshaw Forensics Laboratory. Length 8”. 25,000/35,000
William
Circa 1855
Superb and crisp engravings of British Empire motifs and richly inked. Obverse of one tooth with a portrait of the Iris, identified in a banner above and with an “Australian Station” banner below. Foliate design at base, probably a floral badge of the Empire with a rose for England, thistle for Scotland and shamrocks for Ireland. Other tooth with the “Honi soit qui mal y pense” and “Dieu et Mon Droit” British royal coat of arms. Both teeth with an eye, eyebrow and sunrays at tips, slightly Egyptian in style but probably an Eye of Providence, a symbol of Freemasonry. Reverse of one tooth with a two-masted schooner flying a British ensign above a large blooming iris. Other tooth with an “Ich Dien” Prince of Wales feathers crest above a detailed whaling scene of a whaleship, two whaleboats attacking a surfaced whale, and a stoved boat. A leafy vine encircles the tips of both teeth. Warm patina. Lengths 7”. Include wooden stands. 25,000/35,000
Reference:
A matched pair with similar subject matter, including the ship portrait, coat of arms and flower, is illustrated in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 10. Flayderman writes the pair were carved by a sailor aboard the Iris and were from the collection of Wing Commander Guy Marsland. While the illustrated pair is inferior in quality to the teeth seen here, both pairs are almost certainly by the same hand.
The Iris, a 26-gun frigate, was built around 1840. She served with the West African Squadron suppressing the slave trade and with the East Indies Station in Borneo before becoming the first flagship of the Australian Squadron in 1859. In 1864 she was modified to work with the famous ship Great Republic in laying cable. She was decommissioned and sold in 1869.
19th Century
Obverses with grandly scaled images of the King and Queen of the Sea, the Queen with a serpent and the King holding a trident and with four fish by his feet. Reverses with American three-masted two-decker gunships. Highly detailed workmanship. Lengths 6.75”. On fitted walnut bases. 10,000/15,000
First Half of the 19th Century
An intricate scene of an eagle clutching a “Liberty and Freedom” banner, Lady Liberty and a three-masted ship wraps around the circumference. Liberty is standing onshore, gazing out toward an American-flagged ship leaving port, raising a torch aloft in her right hand and holding an American shield by her side in her left hand. Her elaborate costume includes a star-decorated helmet, a long scarf draped over her right arm, cuffs at her wrists, an embellished dress and sandals. She is standing near an anchor, cannon and a monumental column backed by crossed American flags. Liberty’s torch serves as a perch for the eagle, whose banner flies over the ship and wraps around the column. Shows traces of some polychroming. Length 5.75”.
5,000/7,000
4084, obverse and reverse
Circa 1850
Like on many of Hiliot’s teeth, the obverse depicts a Pacific Island scene showing two natives in grass skirts standing beneath palm trees, pointing their outstretched arms toward a whaleship and two whaleboats in active pursuit of a pod of whales. Distant mountains and a cloudy sky frame the scene. Reverse with an oval medallion containing a three-quarter-length portrait of a formally dressed woman with tightly curled hair, wearing a cross necklace and a rose tucked into the belt of her dress, and holding a folded letter in her hand. Portrait framed by red drapes and medallion surrounded by green leaves and a red rose. Vacant cartouche at base. Bright colors and warm patina. Length 7”. 15,000/20,000
Provenance:
Hyland Granby Antiques, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 2014. The Collection of Michael Gill.
Notes:
Two similar teeth by whaleman George Hiliott are illustrated in Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved by Stuart M. Frank (Boston: David R. Godine, 2012), fig. 3:13a and b. Frank writes that Hiliott engraved at least five teeth showing a native islander on one side and an elegantly clad woman on the other.
19th Century
Holes drilled at both ends. Obverse with line of nondescript punch work. Reverse with two lines of lettering. Length 6.25”. 1,000/1,500
4086. PATRIOTIC POLYCHORME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
Depicts an arch of sun rays above eagle grasping an “E Pluribus Unum” banner in its beak while perched on a Liberty shield surrounded by a drum, cannon and four draped American flags. Length 7”. 3,000/5,000
4087. PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TEETH WITH WARSHIPS
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
Both depict a warship flying a British ensign. Lengths 5.75”. Mounted to wooden bases. 2,000/3,000
4088. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH SHIP PORTRAIT
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
Depicts a single-deck gunship flying a long red, white and blue pennant from the main mast and a large American flag off the stern. Length 5.75”. 4,000/6,000
4089. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH STOVED BOAT SCENE
19th Century
Obverse with two scenes, one of three vessels off a lighthouse and one of a stoved boat. Reverse depicts a framed image of a perched eagle surrounded by stars, and an eagle with a streamer and shield. Scalloped border around circumference of base. Length 4.5”. 500/1,000
4090. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
19th Century
Obverse with a vine arching above a port-side portrait of the three-masted Rajah, showing the billethead, gun ports and reef points. Identified in serifed lettering below. Reverse depicts a spread-wing eagle with an “E Pluribus Unum” banner in its beak, a shield at its breast and an olive branch and arrows in its talons, and the U.S. Capitol. Faintly initialed at base “FD”. Length 7.5”. Pine base.
2,000/3,000
4091.
TOOTH
19th Century
Obverse depicts American flags, bayonets, a spread-wing eagle with banner, talons and arrows, a small cannon on carriage, a Liberty shield, two fouled anchors, and an arched panel depicting a three-masted vessel flying an American flag. Reverse depicts Liberty holding a red, white and blue American flag and a Liberty shield. Length 8.25”.
8,000/12,000
4093. INUIT BASKET WITH WHALING SCENE
Early 20th Century
Multicolored scene of two whales, whaleboats, harpooners and kayaks wraps around the circumference. Spread-wing eagle above one whale. Wave border at lower edge. Upper rim in a contrasting weave. Height 2.75”. Length 9.5”. Width 4.5”. 500/1,000
4092. EXTREMELY RARE INUIT CARVED WALRUS TUSK
Nunivak Island, 19th Century
In the form of a toothed animal eating a seal, the body of the seal visible on each side of the red-colored mouth. Body carved with 26 seals. Detailed with eyes, flippers and ears. Length 17.75”. 6,000/8,000
4094. ICELANDIC WHALER’S KNIFE WITH SHEATH
Dark wood handle and sheath with metal, bone and mother-of-pearl inlay. Handle with geometric designs. Sheath with geometric borders, metal banding and metal inlay shaped as whaling implements, a whale and a vessel. Knife with steel blade. Apparently unmarked. Total length of knife in sheath 13.75”. 800/1,200
Notes:
A similar example is illustrated in Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 129.
4097.
19th Century
Multi-sided
Mid-19th Century
Whalebone
Provenance:
Sotheby’s, New York. Lot sticker on reverse. The Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection.
Exhibited:
Sea Life Park Whaling Museum, Oahu, Hawaii, November 1979 to March 1997.
Illustrated: Through the Eyes of a Collector, fig. 147.
4098.
19th Century
Handle with beveled corners and ebony and metal pins. Inset blade.
4100. TURNED WHALEBONE FID
19th Century
Double knopped terminal with incised lines. Length 9.25”. 800/1,000
4101
4102, with detail
4101. WHALEBONE BELAYING PIN
19th Century
Beautifully turned handle with incised lines. Length 15”. 1,000/1,500
4102. WHALEBONE SERVING MALLET
19th Century Engraved with “EHO” above a diamond. Length 8.5”. 400/600
Provenance: John F. Rinaldi Antiques, Kennebunkport, Maine, 2015. The Collection of Michael Gill.
4103. LARGE WHALEBONE FID
19th Century Retains rope. Length excluding rope 14.75”. 1,000/1,500
19th Century
Whalebone stick, boldly and elegantly engraved with hash marks and numbers 25 through 48, pulls out from a wooden sleeve. Catch on stick prevents it from being completely removed from sleeve. Interestingly, the stick is numbered 27, 26 and 25 before proceeding in numerical order from 28 to 48. Engraved in script lettering on reverse “S.R. Locke”. Length collapsed in sleeve 26.5”.
19th Century
Smaller
32.75”. 500/800
1,000/1,500
19th
1,000/1,500
Provenance:
John F. Rinaldi Antiques, Kennebunkport, Maine, 2015. The
4108. TWO PAIRS OF WHALEBONE DOUBLE BLOCKS
Mid-19th Century
With original ropework and iron hooks and grommets. One with leather-covered rope. Nice original state. Each block approx. 3” x 1.75”. 2,000/3,000
Provenance: Paul Madden. The Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection.
Illustrated: Through the Eyes of a Collector, fig. 181.
4109. WHALEBONE DOUBLE BLOCK
19th Century
Constructed with whalebone pins. Twine-wrapped rope strap. Total length 8.5”. 500/700
4110. TWO WHALEBONE SERVING MALLETS
19th Century
One with pinpoint “HF”. Lengths 9.5” and 11”. 1,000/1,500
4111. TWO WHALEBONE UTILITARIAN ITEMS
19th Century
A gauge and an adjustable scribe. Lengths 5.25” and 7.25”. 400/600
4112. WHALEBONE-HANDLED HEARTH BRUSH WITH STAND
Nantucket, Circa 1830
Tapered handle with carved ring at base. Newer whalebone stand with ebony dot and line inlay. Brush length approx. 9”. Height on stand approx. 11.5”. 800/1,200
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby’s New York, December 16-17, 1983, Lot #353. Retains collection sticker.
4113. SCRIMSHAW WHALE IVORY INK BOX
19th Century
Box surmounted by a turned cup. Box top engraved with four flowers and a double line border. Turned feet. Height 2.75”. Length 2.5”. Width 1.75”. 300/500
4114. WHALEBONE AND COCONUT SHELL DIPPER
19th Century
Coconut shell carved with geometric, floral and foliate designs. Nicely turned whalebone handle. Length 12.75”. 1,000/1,500
4117
4115. RARE WHALEBONE FOLDING LORGNETTE SPECTACLES
Mid-19th Century
Pair of folding eyeglasses in a whalebone pendant-style case. Case length 3”. 200/400
4116. TURNED WHALEBONE FID
19th Century
Knopped terminal with deeply incised lines. Length 12.5”. 800/1,200
4117. RARE WHALEMAN-MADE BALEEN HEARTH BROOM
19th Century
Twisted baleen handle with three knotworks. Length 35.5”. 700/1,000
4118. COCONUT SHELL DIPPER
19th Century
Wooden handle with a whale ivory shield-form bowl mount and a hanging loop terminal formed as a tulip bud. Length 14”. 500/800
4119. FOUR CARVED COCONUT SHELLS
19th Century
1) Creamer with whale ivory handle and spout. Carved “To My Dearest Parents from Their Affectionate Son William Lannes Tilton” around rim.
2) Full shell with relief carvings of a face, ships, palm trees, a hut with two figures, and a cornucopia.
3-4) Two handled bowls with foliate carvings. Lengths 4.75”. 1,000/2,000
4120. CARVED WHALEBONE GAUGE
19th Century
Geometric markings on all sides. Length 32.5”. 500/1,000
4121.
19th Century
Handle with loop terminal and intermittent contrasting bands of figured exotic wood. Total length including horsehair approx. 28”. 400/600
4122.
New Bedford, 19th Century
Carved “NB Emma” around grip. Punchwork and ivory inlay on top. Length 16”. 500/800
Provenance:
Provenance: Northeast
4127. CARPENTER’S WHALEBONE BLOCK PLANE
Mid-19th Century Steel blade. Length 8.5”.
Provenance:
1,000/1,500
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 19, 2012, Lot #710. The Collection of Michael Gill.
4128. CARPENTER’S WHALEBONE SQUARE
Last Half of the 19th Century Made from a single piece of whalebone. 4” x 6.25”. 500/800
Provenance:
Collection of Welles Henderson. John Rinaldi Nautical Antiques, Kennebunkport, Maine, 2011. The Collection of Michael Gill.
Illustrated:
Jack Tar: A Sailor’s Life by J. Welles Henderson and Rodney P. Carlisle, p. 119.
4129. RARE AND POSSIBLY UNIQUE CARVED AND TURNED WHALEBONE BRACE
Circa 1850
U-shaped crank with shaped handhold, made from a single piece of whalebone, ready to receive head and chuck. Length 12”. 400/600
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby’s New York, September 24-25, 1982, Lot #524. Catalog notes it was found on Long Island.
4130. SIX WHALEBONE HOOKS 19th Century Crudely carved. Lengths 3.75”. Widths 3”. 500/700
19th Century
Inlaid whale ivory sperm whale on lid and stars and diamonds throughout. Three sides of box with raised wooden stars. One side with deeply carved “HT”. Height 3.5”. Width 9.75”. Depth 5.25”. 1,000/1,500
19th Century
In walnut. Dovetail and canted construction. Top with an inlaid whalebone heart surrounded by four mother-of-pearl diamonds. One side with ropework handle. Height 4.25”. Width 10”. Depth 6”. 2,000/3,000
19th Century
Scalloped rim. Hardwood base. Height 7.25”. Length 8.25”. Width 5.75”. 1,200/1,800
19th Century Wood top and bottom, the top mounted with a diamond-shaped plaque, possibly baleen or horn. Swag and tassel-like design on lip of lid and lower border of box. Sides of box with finely rendered images of a rooster, ship, flower, eagle and fylfot. Height
Circa 1860
Modest but elegant example of whaleman craftsmanship. Pine top and base, the top with an inlaid whale ivory star surrounded by eight diamonds. Whalebone lip and sides joined with lollipop-style fingers pinned with metal rivets. Nicely mottled whalebone. Pine base. Height 3”. Length 7”. Width 4.75”. 2,500/3,500
Mid-19th Century
Circa 1850
Engraved baleen top, lip and sides, the top surmounted by two fancycarved whale ivory strips engraved with a red sawtooth and green vine design. Top depicts a whaling scene of a whaleship, a whale in a flurry, and two whaleboats, one of which is stoved. Scene framed by a leafy vine. Harlequin pattern along the perimeter. Lip with diamond banding around the circumference. Box with a spread-wing eagle grasping a banner in its beak on one side and two undulating leafy vines wrapping around the circumference. Lip and sides joined with shaped and pinned fingers. Pine base. Interior of lid and base lined in dark brown silk. Contains a note indicating the interior of the box is marked “William H. Hobb”, “Nathan Clay Olney” and “Ship Mary & Martha of New Bedford”. Height 2.75”. Length 6”. Width 3.75”. 1,200/1,800
19th Century
Wooden top and base. Top’s lip depicts whales and a whaleboat. Box sides depict an active whaling scene with two whaleships and six whaleboats. Height 3.5”. Length 8”. Width 6”. 1,000/1,500
Lift top inlaid with hearts, stars, a Masonic compass and square and other geometric inlay. Front with two drawers and shield-form escutcheons. Inscribed in pencil on underside “John Giffon”. Height 6”. Width 10.75”. Depth 7.5”. 800/1,200
4143. RARE WHALEMAN-MADE KITCHEN KNIFE BOX
19th Century
Canted dovetail pine box with shaped whale ivory handle. Single drawer at side with unusual whale ivory locking mechanism and whalebone braces on interior front edge. Includes handwritten note “This was made By Captain John M. Tinkham while on the C.W. Morgan 1871-1875”. John Maxfield Tinkham (1839-1895) was master of the Charles W. Morgan on two voyages, 1871-1874 and 1875-1878.
Height 6”. Length 12.5”. Width 10”. 7,000/12,000
4143A. RARE AND DESIRABLE DAVID BAKER CAST IRON SPERM WHALE SIGN
New Bedford, Circa 1840
Probably made as a shop sign for a whaling outfitter. Two tabs at the base allow for mounting the whale to a flat surface. Stamped verso in large raised letters “D. Baker New Bedford”. Height 5.5”. Length 22”. 2,000/3,000
David Baker was born in 1795 and worked between circa 1836 and 1859. He was a “Mathematical Instrument Maker” and purveyor of navigational Instruments at 44 North Water Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. Examples of this same casting are in the collection of The Smithsonian Institute, Mystic Seaport and the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
4144. INLAID CRIBBAGE BOARD GAME BOX
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Hardwood box with various wood and whalebone inlay. Single drawer at side. Height 2.25”. Length 14.25”. Width 5.25”. 500/700
4145. MINIATURE THREE-DRAWER CHEST
19th Century
In oak with whale ivory escutcheons, knobs and ogee bracket feet. Height 6.75”. Width 8”. Depth 4”. 500/800
4146. SAILOR-MADE DRESSER BOX
19th Century
In mahogany. Top with a whalebone ring handle. Fruitwood star, diamond and sunburst inlay throughout. Height 3”. Width 9.5”. Depth 7.5”. 300/500
4147. SAILOR-MADE DRESSER BOX
19th Century
In mahogany. Top inlaid with whalebone diamonds and stars. Height 4”. Width 11”. Depth 6”. 250/350
4148.
19th Century
In mahogany. Lift top inlaid with a whale ivory plaque. Compartmented interior. Front with an inlaid whale ivory diamond flanked by whale ivory thread dispensers, two half drawers, and a full-width drawer with central inlaid whale ivory oval. Both sides with a single drawer. Ivory drawer knobs. Height 5.75”. Width 10.25”. Depth 7”. 1,000/1,500
4149. MAHOGANY AND WHALE IVORY SEWING STAND
19th Century
One-drawer base with whale ivory floriform drawer pull, button adornments at top corners, and ball feet. Base surmounted by a spinning three-tier thread holder topped with a whale ivory yarn cup/pincushion. Matching button adornments on lower two tiers of thread holder. Height 11.5”. 400/600
Mid-19th Century
In mahogany with inlaid marine ivory diamonds and vacant plaques, and exotic wood quarter-fan and line inlay. Hinged top with fold-out mirror on interior. Base of interior with lift-out fitted tray. Height 4.75”. Width 14”. Depth 7.5”. 2,500/3,500
19th Century
Obverse with images of a vine; a ship underway; a tree; clasped hands; a patriotic montage of an eagle, shield, flags and cannons; a young couple; and a sailor holding a saber and standing near a bell. Images separated by geometric and vine borders. Reverse with a flowering vine and a partial image of stage curtains. Length 14.5”. Width 1.75”.
2,000/3,000
19th Century
Depicts four darkly inked vignettes, each set atop a running bond pattern. Includes two port-view ship portraits; a woman wearing a tri-pointed hat holding aloft a vine garland and standing on a small knoll; and a portrait of a knight in full armor. Reverse with a crude engraving of a sloop done by a different hand. Lobed top. Length 13.5”.
3,000/5,000
Provenance:
The Collection of Michael Gill.
Notes:
The woman’s tri-pointed hat as seen here is nearly identical to one on another tooth attributed to a Ceres Artisan sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, August 13, 2020, Lot #48. Her vine garland is similar to the garlands that often form the proscenium arches commonly seen on Ceres Artisan teeth.
19th Century
Two octagonal vignettes, each with a three-masted ship, flank a central floral wreath. Lyre-form floral garlands at each end. Length 14.5”.
19th Century
1,500/2,000
Central panel depicts an active whaling scene with a whaleship, three whaleboats and whales, some of which are waifed. End panels both depict a lighthouse. Initialed and dated “TW 1842” at one end and “J.T.” at the other end. Length 14.5”.
3,500/5,000
Mid-19th Century
Depicts a finely detailed whaling scene of a whaleship, a large pod of spouting whales, several waifed whales, whaleboats actively involved in captures, and figures visible on deck of the whaleship and in action in the whaleboats. Scene framed within husk garlands and flanked by a sprig of forget-me-nots and a music-themed emblem of a lyre and baton amidst foliage. Length 14.5”. 3,000/5,000
Provenance:
The Collection of Michael Gill.
Notes:
A similar busk, from the Collection of Ian R. MacKenzie, also depicting a whaling scene framed by the same husk garlands and flanking emblems as seen here, was sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, August 19, 2021, Lot #52. One with three scenes but the same style of husk garlands, most likely by the same artist, was sold at Eldred’s, The Marine Sale, August 4, 2022, Lot #3196. More information about the Lambeth Busk Engraver is forthcoming in a future publication by Dr. Stuart M. Frank.
19th Century
Depicts three arcaded buildings, trees, a fort flying an American flag and a ship. Length 12.75”.
1,800/2,500
19th Century
Depicts stars, opposing hearts, a house flanked by trees, and a hanging sign marked “H.S.B. 1844”. Length 14.5”.
2,000/3,000
19th Century
One side with a floral motif, a sunburst and entwined hearts pierced by Cupid’s arrow. Other side with delicately engraved leaves, initials “M.G.B. H.L.B”, and four lines of verse “Freely take this gift of mine the gift and giver both are thine although the gift is but small two loving hearts are worth them all”. Engraved in a different hand “May you be blest with all that heaven can send long life peace comfort and a loving friend through all your life most happy may you be and though far distant I will think of thee”. On a contemporary clear acrylic base.
Provenance:
Collection of Jeffrey and Francine Cohen. Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection.
1,000/1,500
Mid-19th
Obverse depicts two hearts; a ship flying a British flag and a long “Wave” pennant; an array of flags, drums, cannonballs and a “the Trophies of War” banner; a basket of flowers; a ship flying two British flags and a long pennant; a cornucopia; and two entwined hearts. Images separated by geometric and foliate borders. Reverse depicts a whale flanked by verses contained within cartouches. Left verse: “In Many a Gale has Been This Whale Wherein this Bone Did Rest, But Now its Caught For to Support A Lovely Fair Maids Breast”. Right verse: “Health to the Sick Honour to the Brave Success to the true Lovers and Freedom to the Slave”. Length 15.5”.
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Collection. Paul Madden. The Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection.
Exhibited: Fulton Ferry Museum, New York, March 1983.
Illustrated: Through the Eyes of a Collector, fig. 120.
2,000/3,000
4160. RELIEF-CARVED BALEEN BUSK
19th Century
Depicts crossed American flags; a Masonic compass and square; a brick building; a rooster; a sun smiling over a ship at sea; “S.R.”; and a patriotic emblem of a Liberty shield, crossed cannons, cannonballs and flowers. Reverse depicts the stern of the “Bark Peru”, probably the whaling bark Peru of New Bedford. Length 13”. 2,500/3,500
4161. SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE PANEL
19th Century
Depicts Liberty holding a shield, a compass rose and an eagle holding an E. Pluribun Unum banner. 1.75" x 12.5". 500/700
4162. SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE BUSK WITH FOLIATE AND OTHER DESIGNS
19th Century
Depicts eight vignettes: a medallion containing leaves and a five-pointed star with shaded points; a building, probably a customs house, flying an American flag; opposing intersecting Ds formed by vine and crosshatch patterns; a vacant cartouche; a hex sign; a potted plant; a knoll of trees; and a medallion containing a leafy sapling. Some vignettes separated by crosshatch borders and flanked by vines. Reverse with a faint five-pointed star with shaded points and a small dot at the center, similar to those seen on pieces by the Star Engraver. Shaped top. Length 14”. Width 1.5”. 1,000/1,500
4163. SCRIMSHAW BALEEN BUSK
19th Century
With vignettes of sailing ships, geometric designs, a church, a house and trees. Length 13”. 2,000/3,000
4164. SCRIMSHAW BALEEN BUSK
19th Century
Depicts eight images, including plants, ships and buildings, many with identifying banners below. Inscription engraved on reverse includes date of 1830 and name “T Reason”. Length 14.75”. 500/800
4165. SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE BUSK
19th Century
Bold geometric and plant designs. Length 14”. 500/1,000
4166. POLYCHROME WHALEBONE BUSK DEPICTING "RUSSIA"
Late 19th Century
Three vignettes of buildings exhibiting typical Russian architectural traits including domes, towers, spires, columns, etc., some topped with crosses, flags or streamers. One spire in the lower vignette appears to be topped with a large bird. Executed in sepia, black and rich black. Handwritten label verso “Russia - C.H. Brewer ...”. Length 13”. 300/500
Depicts a stoved boat scene with a whaleboat in the jaw of a large spouting sperm whale, other whaleboats coming to the rescue of the whalemen, and a distant whaleship and lighthouse. Rope surround. Signed center right “James Mitchell”. Height 16”. Length 41.25”.
* Per Federal Regulation, this item may only be purchased by a Massachusetts resident and will not be shipped out of state. 3,000/4,000
A well-executed copy of a Frederick Myrick “Susan’s Tooth”. Signed at lower edge “P.V.”. Length 5”. * Per Federal Regulation, this item may only be purchased by a Massachusetts resident and will not be shipped out of state 4,000/6,000
Judge Paul Vardeman of Kansas City, Missouri, often and affectionately referred to as “The Dean of Scrimshaw”, is credited with an important body of scrimshaw scholarship. Most notably he identified the work of the Britannia Engraver as separate from that of Edward Burdett’s, one of the most important revelations in the field in several decades. After his passing in October 2022, a chair was placed in his honor in the Scrimshaw Gallery at the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
20th Century
Depicts “Napoleon and the Duchess of Guiche”, as well as a lady-in-waiting, seated at a table. Titled below. Length 7.5”. * Per Federal Regulation, this item may only be purchased by a Massachusetts resident and will not be shipped out of state 800/1,200
Fourteen pages of basic anatomical drawings of various whales and whaling implements. Folds out from left to right as one continuous page. No author or date noted. 11.5” x 16”. 2,500/3,500
For a voyage that commenced July 16, 1867 and ended July 5, 1871, captained by Benjamin F. Jones. Consists of short entries and approx. 84 whale stamps. Marbled boards and leather spine. 16.75” x 7.25”.
1,000/2,000
Whaling journal from the ship Chris Mitchell of New Bedford for a voyage that commenced August 16, 1856 and ended May 17, 1860, captained by Edward Manchester. Includes eight stamps and four small drawings of whale captures. Documents contained within a folder and mostly pertain to the bark Petrol of New Bedford. Includes many whalecraft receipts. 3,000/4,000
1,000/1,500
For a voyage that commenced May 27, 1867 and ended September 4, 1868, captained by James Soule. Contains approx. 15 whale stamps. Marbled boards and leather spine. 13.75” x 8.5”. 3,000/5,000
4175. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH PARLOR AND OTHER SCENES
Mid-19th Century
Obverse depicts two lovebirds grasping a vine above a scene of a woman in a parlor, sitting on a sofa, holding a flower in one hand and reaching for a dog with the other. Scene framed by drapery swags and includes two landscape paintings on the wall behind the woman and a rich floral-patterned carpet on the floor. Possibly some traces of polychroming. Reverse depicts two scenes, one of a fisherman at a river in a bucolic setting with trees and a stone bridge, and the other of Hope resting against a fouled anchor and pointing her extended arm toward a ship at sea. Delicately rendered and finely detailed throughout all three images. Length 7”. Includes wood stand. Height on stand 10.5”.
3,500/5,000
4176. PAIR OF POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TEETH WITH CHERUBS
Circa 1860
Both teeth with “ORE” at tip and “We Keat.g” above images of cherubs bordered by three frilly garlands. One tooth with “W. Mc. N” below the cherub, who is holding aloft a banner. The other cherub is holding a shield and sword and kneeling on a Liberty shieldshaped plinth. Lengths 5.5”. Include wooden bases.
Mid-19th Century
Obverse depicts a lady playing a piano by a window. Scene nicely detailed with patterned drapes, sheet music and a fur-trimmed jacket hanging over the back of the chair. Reverse depicts a young couple in the countryside framed within a wide border formed from floral vines growing out of pots. Length 7”. 2,500/3,500
Mid-19th Century
Obverse with a framed three-quarter-length portrait “Only Daughter”, a curly-haired young woman holding flowers in her apron. Titled in script lettering below. Reverse depicts a spread-wing eagle with an “E. Pluribus Unum” banner in its beak, a red and white Liberty shield at its breast, and olive branches and arrows in its talons. Length 6.75”. 5,000/8,000
Mid-19th Century
Depicts an elegant lady wearing a magnifying glass necklace. Scalloped frame. Length 7.25”. 1,500/2,500
4180. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH SHIP PORTRAITS
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
4185. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN
Second Half of the 19th Century
1,500/2,500
Obverse depicts an American-flagged three-masted ship flying a long pennant off the central mast. Reverse with “Ship Rodman March 30th 1833” over a starboard view of a partially dismasted vessel. Length 6.5”.
4181. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
19th Century
Depicts a tabletop flower arrangement. Length 4.25”. 400/600
4182. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH SHIP
Mid-19th Century
Full-length depiction of a woman wearing a bonnet and checkered shawl and holding a handkerchief. Drape and tassel border above and foliate garland below. Length 5.25”. 800/1,200
4186. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH EAGLE AND LADY LIBERTY
Late 19th Century
Obverse depicts an eagle perched on a flagpole with a spearpoint finial, a streamer tied in a bow just below the finial, and a loosely furled 18-star American flag. Reverse depicts Lady Liberty modeled after the Statue of Liberty, holding aloft a flaming torch in one hand and an inscribed tablet in the other, and wearing a crown, robes and sandals. Length 6”. 2,000/3,000
1,800/2,500
Obverse depicts the vessel flying a British ensign. Reverse with “EY” [?] monogram surrounded by a vine. Serrated band at tip and base wraps around the circumference; tip also with a drape and tassel band. Length 5.75”.
4183. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH
Second Half of the 19th Century
Assorted images, including a topsail schooner, a pipe, a box of matches, a tobacco bag, a pocket knife, a bottle of rum, etc., wrap around the circumference.
4184. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH LADY WAVING FAREWELL
Second Quarter of the 19th Century
The lady, wearing a hat and polka-dotted dress, waves her handkerchief in farewell to several departing vessels. Length 4.5”. Mounted on a wooden base. 600/1,000
4187. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH WHALE CAPTURE SCENE
Early 20th Century
Depicts a whaleboat with a harpooner at the bow, aiming at a surfacing whale. Length 6.5”. 500/1,000
4188. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH DEPICTING A KNIGHT ON HORSEBACK
19th Century Length 6.5”. 1,000/1,500
4189. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH DEPICTING A GENT IN A TOP HAT
Second Half of the 19th Century Full-length view of a finely dressed gentleman. Length 6.25”. 600/900
4190. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH WITH NATIVITY SCENE 19th Century
Depicts the Star of Bethlehem, Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, etc. within an arched panel. Length 6”. 800/1,200
Notes:
A nearly identical tooth by the same hand is illustrated in Scrimshaw on Nantucket: The Collection of the Nantucket Historical Association by Stuart M. Frank (Nantucket, Mass.: The Nantucket Historical Association, 2019), p. 247, fig. 14:29.
4191. SCRIMSHAW WHALE’S TOOTH 19th Century
Depicts a plant and a verse. Length 3.75”. 400/600
Illustrated: Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 72. 4180, obverse and reverse
Mid-19th Century
Well-detailed standing figure of a buxom woman with her hands folded across her torso. Very thin blade, not believed to be ivory or bone, hinged to swing out from between her legs. Interesting rare form. Length 2.25”. 200/300
Late 19th/Early 20th Century Figure with a long braid and crossed arms and legs. Contained in a box with a note on lid “Capt Nye’s granddaughter 1908 Charles W. Morgan Carved by Capt. Nye”[?]. Height 3.25”. 400/600
4194.
19th Century
Inlaid with a mother-of-pearl heart and geometric shapes. Length 2.25”. Width 1.5”. 800/1,200
19th Century
Two
19th Century
In varied forms. Displayed in a tiered wooden rack. Total height of rack with bodkins 8.75”. Width 12.5”. Depth 4”. 2,000/3,000
19th
4199. POLYCHROME WHALEBONE AND WHALE IVORY DOUBLE SWIFT
19th Century Yarn cup finial, clamp and other components with incised lines colored with red and blue sealing wax. Clamp also functions as a thread holder. Length 17.5”. Cage diameter approx. 14.5”. 2,000/3,000
Mid-19th Century Yarn cup and clamp in an elegant stepped design; clamp also with a polychrome scrimshaw eagle. Mahogany dovetailed case. Swift length 24.75”. Box height 3.25”. Length 26”. Width 3.5”. 3,000/5,000
19th Century
A sock darner, two thread winders with table clamps, and a knitting needle with island wood banding. Lengths from 4.25” to 12”. 700/1,000
4202.
19th Century
Beautifully turned and molded tiers and turned mounts. Ball feet. Height 9.25”. Diameter approx. 4.75”.
2,000/3,000
TABLE-MOUNTED
19th Century
Elegantly constructed. Whale ivory urn-form finials and barrel-form clamps. Lengths 9.5”.
2,000/2,500
Mid-19th Century
Exceptionally long shaft topped with a chalice-form turned yarn cup and ends in a turned knop. C-shaped block clamp with circle and diamondshaped shell inlay. Shell spacers and caps on other components Yarn cup, knobs and knop with incised banding colored with red sealing wax. Swift cage is held in place by moving the clamp along the shaft and tightening a knob, rather than the traditional separate adjustment mechanism. This unusual construction may indicate a reconstruction or marriage of parts. Length 28.5”. Cage diameter approx. 15”. 500/1,000
Mid-19th Century
Whale ivory clamp and yarn cup with incised lines colored red and blue. Clamp with rare scrimshaw depiction of a full-rigged American ship under sail. Hardwood dovetailed case with abalone escutcheon. Swift length 24”. Box height 3.5”. Length 25”. Width 3.75”. 5,000/8,000
Mid-19th Century
Whalebone shaft topped with a turned and incised whale ivory yarn cup. Cage with whale ivory collars, incised whalebone stays, metal rivets and old, possibly original, ropework ties. Whale ivory barrel-form clamp with whalebone screw. Simple but sturdy construction. Length 19.5”. Cage diameter approx. 19.75”. 300/500
4207. SCRIMSHAW WHALE IVORY PIE CRIMPER
19th Century
Serpentine handle, the terminal possibly a small whale’s tooth. Shaft formed as conjoined faceted cubes inset with contrasting dots. Contrasting band between terminal and shaft probably island wood. Stepped architectural wheel yoke. Serrated wheel. Rich patina. Length 7”.
1,000/1,500
4208. WHALE IVORY SERPENT-FORM PIE CRIMPER
19th Century
Serpent with red eyes, carved mouth and engraved features, the head supported by a brace. Looping body with medial contrasting and ivory spacers. Architectural wheel yoke. Small serrated wheel possibly whalebone. Length 6.5”.
1,200/1,800
4209. WALRUS IVORY DOUBLE-WHEEL PIE CRIMPER
19th Century
Unusually shaped handle and wheel yokes with contrasting bands, probably wood or baleen. One wheel in a ruffled flower form and the other jagged. Three-tine fork. Length 8.25”.
1,200/1,800
4210. WHALE IVORY AND WHALEBONE PIE CRIMPER
19th Century
Elliptical handle with two bands of exotic wood. Nicely fluted wheel. Three-tine fork. Length 7.5”. 700/1,000
4211. WHALE IVORY LADY’S LEG PIE CRIMPER
Mid-19th Century
Leg with incised carvings, a contrasting inset “garter” and a carved and engraved heeled boot. Faceted terminal with contrasting inset dots and swinging bail hanging loop. Lyre-style wheel yoke. Serrated wheel with four spokes. Length 7.5”. 8,000/10,000
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 187
4212. WHALEMAN-MADE WATCH HUTCH IN THE FORM OF A TALL-CASE CLOCK
Second Quarter of the 19th Century Walnut case with whale ivory finials, star inlay on bonnet and heart inlay on base, and a whale ivory panel on the pendulum door. Base also with an inlaid star, possibly baleen or exotic wood. Contains an enamel-face pocket watch. Height 13.75”. 4,000/6,000
Illustrated:
Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen, p. 211.
4213. WHALEBONE AND WHALE IVORY FOOTED THREAD HOLDER
19th Century
Polychrome incised lines throughout. Retains an old tag on underside with “Amanda Taber” inscription. The Tabers were a whaling family of New Bedford and a copy of a letter from the New Bedford Public library pertaining to Amanda accompanies the lot. Height 4.75”. Diameter 3”. 500/700
4214. POLYCHROME SCRIMSHAW WHALEBONE BUSK
19th Century Abundantly covered with hex, geometric and foliate designs augmented by multicolored pinpoints. Marked on back “Amanda G. Taber”. Lobed top. A copy of a letter from the New Bedford Public library pertaining to Amanda accompanies the lot. Length 14.25”. 500/1,000
Excellent
18,000/22,000
4,000/7,000
400/600
500/800
19th Century
Obverse
19th Century
Obverse depicts a bird on a branch, a medallion with a view of the Seamen’s Bethel, and two figures engaged in a fight. Reverse depicts a spouting sperm whale and a tiny stagecoach. Length 5.5”. 4,000/6,000
Mid-19th Century
Both with a whaling scene that encircles the circumference of the tooth. One tooth depicts a whaleship cutting in; the other depicts a whaleship trying down. Both scenes with whaleboats, a sperm whale and distant coast. Vacant ribbands above ships. Lengths 6.88”. 12,000/15,000
Provenance: The Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection.
Illustrated: Through the Eyes of a Collector, fig. 7.
4224. WALKING STICK MADE FROM A SECTION OF A NARWHAL TUSK
19th Century
Fitted with a turned mahogany head and ferrule. Nice patina. Length 31.75”. 1,800/2,500
Provenance: Jeffrey and Francine Cohen Collection, Richard A. Bourne Company, Hyannis, Massachusetts, July 31, 1989, Lot #59.
4225. CANE WITH RARE CASK-FORM HANDLE
19th Century
Whale ivory handle carved as a whale oil cask. Island wood and whale ivory banded throat. Whalebone shaft. Length 36.75”. 2,000/2,500
4226. CANE WITH GOLD-PLATED HANDLE
19th Century
Handle with presentation inscription. Bold twisted baleen shaft. Nickel ferrule. Length 34.75”. 2,000/2,500
4227. CANE
19th Century
Knob handle with ivory, baleen and shell panels and a steer horn cap. Spiral-carved ebony shaft. Copper ferrule. Length 35.25”. 800/1,200
4228. CANE WITH HAND-FORM HANDLE
19th Century
Elongated handle formed as a hand holding a cane, the hand carved from whale ivory and the sleeve comprised of whale ivory, horn and island wood segments. Whale ivory ball top. Island wood throat with inlaid dots. Whalebone shaft. Length 35.25”.
4229. CLENCHED FIST CANE
19th Century
Whalebone handle in the form of a fist clenching a baton. Long turned and incised whalebone throat. Spiral-carved whalebone shaft. Married. Length 33.5”. 800/1,200
4230. BALL-HANDLED CANE
19th Century
Whale ivory handle with three incised lines colored with sealing wax. Whalebone shaft tapers from an octagon to a cylinder. Metal ferrule. Length 36.5”. 900/1,200
4231. PRESENTATION BUGGY WHIP
19th Century Ivory handle engraved “Nelson Brown So. Danvers Mass. Presented by [...] Shackley Merrill Oct. 22. 1856”. Length 43.75”. 800/1,200
4232. CARVED WHALEBONE WALKING STICK
Mid-19th Century
Turned bone knob handle, possibly steer bone, with a reliefcarved bull’s-eye at top and pierced for a wrist cord. Slender tapering whalebone shaft with sections of ribbed and rope-twist carvings separated by bands. Length 34.25”. 300/500
4233. BILLY CLUB WITH WHALE IVORY HANDLE
Third Quarter of the 19th Century Leather wrap. Length 12”. 100/200
4234. CARVING OF A HUMPBACK WHALE
Contemporary Length 40”. 400/600
4235. CARVING OF A SPERM WHALE
Contemporary Painted black and white. Length 38.5”. 400/600
4236. ROGER MITCHELL CARVING OF A SPERM WHALE
Contemporary Painted white. Glass eye. Length 38”. 400/700
4237. WHALEBONE WHIRLIGIG
Second Half of the 19th Century
In the form of a standing sailor, possibly a Black man, with a cap, collar and buttons. Paddle arms in the form of sperm whales. Mounted to a wooden pedestal. Total height 22”. Width 18”. 8,000/12,000
19th Century
Purportedly made by a member of the Hussey family, who were whalers on Nantucket in the Early 19th Century before moving to Ohio. Carved and polychromed, with black hair, blue eyes, red lips and other nicely detailed facial features. Jointed arms and legs. Height 4.75”. On stand. 1,500/2,500
Provenance:
Hussey Family of Nantucket.
Jeffrey and Francine Cohen Collection, Richard A. Bourne Company, Hyannis, Massachusetts, July 31, 1989, Lot #123. Retains collection sticker on back of doll.
Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby’s New York, December 11-12, 1981, Lot #480. Retains collection sticker on stand. Private Pennsylvania Collection.
Includes a whale ivory pair with fine incised bandings. Heights approx. 2.25”. 1,000/1,500
19th
Beautifully
Friday, August 11
9:30 A.M.
The Bob and Nina Hellman Collection Lots 4501-4580
Whalecraft
Nantucket Baskets
Prisoner-of-War Crafts
Paintings
Navigational Instruments
America's Cup Memorabilia
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Noted collectors and antique dealers with strong ties to Nantucket, Bob was a renowned expert in whalecraft, the harpoons, lances, spades and other gear used to hunt and process whales, while Nina specialized in scrimshaw and maritime art, helping shape the landmark Thomas Mittler Scrimshaw Collection and showcasing it in her 2015 publication Through the Eyes of the Collector.
Bob Hellman (1930-2018) devoted sixty years to collecting and researching whalecraft and whaling artifacts, and after his death, many of his items were dispersed to museums and institutions, notably the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Hundreds of remaining pieces from his collection will come to market here at Eldred’s, in a series of auctions over the next two years. Here we proudly present the first 79 lots, a wonderful group of material with impeccable provenance. We know you will enjoy these offerings and find something to improve your collection.
Most importantly, Bob Hellman’s collection will be preserved in its entirety in an online database, hellmanwhalingcollection.org The website provides a virtual exhibition and an exhaustive research library, and will prove to be an invaluable resource for current and future collectors. The website will officially launch this fall, but in the interim, you may view it using the password HellmanCollection. There you can enter a lot’s REH collection number to view additional details about the item. Please be sure to include the REH prefix with the number (i.e., “REH663”).
Rare carved and
Well-rendered likeness with an open jaw exposing carved teeth. Signed and dated on base “Innis 1968”. Includes a glass dome display case. Whale height 6”. Length 13.75”. REH658 800/1,200
Third
of
19th Century
Inset maker’s label. Nicely fitted interior with fold-out letter compartment and writing surface. Recessed brass carrying handles at sides. On a contemporary stand. Desk height 9”. Width 21”. Depth 13”. Total height 24”. Width 23”. Depth 15.25”. 1,500/2,500
30,000/40,000
William Swain was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 27, 1803. He opened his first art studio in Newburyport in 1824 at the age of 21. He searched for commissions in Nantucket, New Bedford, Norfolk and New York City — places where he could find successful professionals eager to have themselves and their families portrayed in oil. He was Nantucket’s most prolific portraitist, painting more than 100 portraits of ship captains, merchants, lawyers and other professionals and their spouses. He had a studio in New York City by 1833. Swain was the grandfather of the noted Pennsylvania artist Violet Oakley. He died in Norfolk, Virginia on February 18, 1847.
4508. LUSCOMB’S BREECH-LOADING DARTING GUN
19th Century
Patented 1894. Complete with bomb. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 10, 1981. Length 74.75”. REH253 2,500/3,500
4509. DARTING GUN WITH BOMB ATTRIBUTED TO FRANK BROWN
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Unmarked. Hellman notes the darting gun may be unsigned as it was an experimental type made by Frank Brown. Bomb patented by Frank Brown 1904. Hellman Collection acquisition date January 1, 1988. Length 26.25”. REH243 and REH273. 4,500/5,500
4510. CUNNINGHAM’S SECOND MODEL DARTING GUN WITH HARPOON
19th Century
Mounted on an old wooden pole. Hellman Collection acquisition date December 7, 1998. Length of gun on pole 69.75”. Harpoon length 39.5”.
19th Century
Every whaleboat had a double oarlock, known as the tub oarlock. Mounted on a period section of wooden guwale. Total height 16.5”. Length 41.25”. Width 4.75”. REH412 1,500/2,500
Provenance: Morgan Levine.
Stamped “Gifford & Allen New Bedford”. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 1, 2001. Total length 12.5”. Width 8.25”. REH241 300/500
BOMB LANCES
New Bedford, 19th Century
Three intact and one exploded. Period green painted storage box. Hellman Collection acquisition date November
10, 1989. Box height 5.75”. Length 21”. Width 5.75”. REH274 and REH529 1,000/1,500
1,000/2,000
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Collection. Retains sticker.
4514
4515. RARE TEMPLE-TYPE TOGGLE HARPOON
Circa 1860s
Head marked “Macy” for New Bedford smiths E.B. & F. Macy, “SB” for the captain’s starboard boat, and “BK. SBM” for the barque Sunbeam. Shows considerable contortion and twisting of the shank from having been in conflict with a whale. Hellman Collection acquisition date May 1, 1979. Length 38.75”. REH056. 2,000/2,500
4516. IMPROVED-STYLE TOGGLE HARPOON
19th Century
Marked “SBB” for starboard bow boat and faintly marked “H”, probably for the barque Andrew Hicks. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 1, 1980. Length 38.5”. REH058 1,200/1,500
4517. CUTTING SPADE ON POLE
19th Century
Blade stamped “D Gray” for Darius Gray, a New Bedford blacksmith. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 3, 1982. Length 74”. REH186 500/800
4518. CUTTING SPADE BY H.N. DEAN
19th Century
Blade stamped “H.N. Dean Cast Steel”. Hellman Collection acquisition date January 1, 1970. Length 14.75”. REH171 500/700
4519. CUTTING SPADE
19th Century
Stamped “Cole Cast Steel” for maker R. Cole of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Hellman Collection acquisition date November 18, 1967. Length 15.25”. REH170. 600/800
4520. RARE SIGNED GREENER HARPOON BOW GUN ON STAND
Birmingham, Mid-19th Century
Signed on brass plate “W.W. Greener Birmingham 2 eclipse”. Original cast iron yoke-type swivel mount. Displayed on a stand accompanied with two lances, a cutting blade and a barbed harpoon marked “eclipse”. Gun length 53.5”. Total height 87”. REH255 20,000/28,000
Late 19th Century
The signal flag for the letter Q, with an open yellow field, flown from a ship that was under quarantine. 49.5” x 68.5”. REH650 300/500
19th Century
Fully rigged with fabric sails. Wooden hull with extensive whalebone trim. Figurehead below bowsprit. Eagles and shields on port and starboard side of stern. Stern board marked “MAR”. Case height 34.75”. Length 45”. Width 18”. REH437. 6,000/9,000
Portrait of the barque Wanderer under full sail. Executed in nicely contrasting colors. Signed lower right “CW Ashley”. Marked verso “288”. Oil on canvas, 25” x 30”. Framed 30” x 35”. REH634 5,000/7,000
The Wanderer was a whaling barque out of New Bedford and was one of the last of the whaling era. It wrecked on Cuttyhunk Island in 1924.
4524. RALPH EUGENE CAHOON, JR.
Massachusetts, 1910-1982
“So. Pacific ... The Perils of Whaling”. Signed lower right “R Cahoon pinxt”. Titled lower margin. Oil on masonite, 23.75” x 30”. Framed 28.5” x 34.5”. REH614. 20,000/30,000
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Collection.
Notes:
The composition is a take on the sketch “A Scramble for Salt Junk” in J. Ross Browne’s 1846 book, Etchings of a Whaling Cruise (facing p. 142)
4525
England, Second Half of the 19th Century Hand-carved and painted half-length figure of a woman. Height 35”. Width 20”. Depth 22”. REH660 8,000/12,000
Provenance: A Nantucket, Massachusetts Collection.
These are nearly identical ship portraits, both showing figures on deck, signal flags flying off the mast, a bold waving American flag flying off the stern, and a Western ship and Chinese vessel off the stern and bow. Carl Crossman, a noted China Trade scholar, conjectured the ship’s master may have purchased the larger painting, while a lower-ranking officer of lesser means settled for the smaller version.
4528. WILLIAM HENRY TRIPP
Massachusetts, 1880-1959
Collection of 21 photographs taken aboard the whaling schooner John R. Manta, depicting various stages of whale capture and processing. The images were included in Tripp’s book There Goes Flukes: The Story of New Bedford’s Last Whaler (Reynolds Printing, 1938). Tripp was also a former curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Photographs housed in three frames. Images approx. 11” x 14”. Framed approx. 16” x 13.25” and 25” x 73.5”. REH525. 1,000/2,000
Provenance:
Purchased from Morgan Levine’s sister, Jane List, on Nantucket.
4529. TWO PIECES OF WHALING MEMORABILIA
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
A photograph of the whaling barque Canton and a Harper’s Weekly print depicting Arctic whaling. Framed 17.5” x 21.75” and 19.75” x 25.5”. REH576 and REH645 250/350
4530. PHOTOGRAPH OF THE BARQUE COMMODORE MORRIS
Late 19th Century
Unsigned. Notated verso “1892”. Frame purportedly made of the wreckage of the barque Wanderer, with a copper sperm whale plaque on the lower frame moulding. Framed 13.25” x 16.5”. REH592 250/350
4531. FOUR WHALING-RELATED PHOTOGRAPHS
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Framed from 9.75” x 7.75” to 11.75” to 14.75”. REH469, REH646, REH647 and REH668 300/400
4532. CASED SET OF FOUR BARBARA JOHNSON WHALING COLLECTION AUCTION CATALOGS
Parts I, II, III and IV of the Sotheby’s auctions held in New York from December 1981 through December 1983. Inscribed to Bob and Nina Hellman. Each volume includes a prices realized key. Case 9.5” x 9.25”. 300/400
19th Century
Marked “W. Greener Maker Aston Newton Birmingham 1855”. Engraved proof marks with two crossed pikes. Original cast iron yoke-type swivel mount. Displayed on a contemporary stand. Hellman Collection acquisition date July 12, 1994. Height on stand 22”. Length on stand 53”. REH254 15,000/20,000
19th Century
Used
4538
4535. RARE WOODEN DOUBLE-FLUE HARPOON SHEATH
19th Century
Under old green paint. Old collection number “2166” in white paint at tip. Length 7”. Width 4.75”. Opening .875”. REH371 500/1,000
4536. THREE HARPOON SHEATHS FOR TOGGLE-HEAD HARPOONS
19th Century
Canvas-covered wood. Lengths from 9” to 12.5”. REH364, REH368 and REH369 700/1,000
4537. A.J. PETERS LANCE ON POLE
19th Century
Stamped on blade “AJP Cast Steel”. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 28, 1998. Overall length approx. 129”. REH206. 1,500/2,000
4538. SWORDFISH HARPOON ON ORIGINAL POLE
19th Century
Complete with brass swordfishing dart. Length approx. 180”. REH211 1,000/1,500
4539. TWO-PETAL LILY IRON
19th Century
Arrowhead-style head with two swivel barbs. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 18, 1997. Length 33.75”. REH106 700/900
4540. FOUR-BARB LILY IRON
Possibly Britain, 19th Century For cetaceans. Retains remains of sailor ropework and manila rope near cone. Length 42.5”. REH073 900/1,200
4541. ZENO KELLEY PATENTED SHOULDER GUN TOGGLE HARPOON
19th Century
Marked “B. GLA” from the barque Glacier of New Bedford. Zeno Kelley, a watchmaker from New Bedford, patented this gun December 3, 1867. Length 26.5”. REH115 1,500/2,500
4542. SWIVEL BARB GROMMET IRON
19th Century
For cetaceans. Hellman Collection acquisition date December 1, 1973. Length 28.5”. REH038. 500/800
4543. TOGGLE-HEAD HARPOON
19th Century
Madeiran or Azorean. Head marked “SS” or “SB”, possibly for the owner or company of the vessel. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 1, 1985. Length 32”. REH087 600/900
4544. DOUBLE-FLUE HARPOON BY W. SMITH & SONS
Reddington, England, 19th Century
Signed. Hellman Collection acquisition date November 1, 1970. Length 21.25”. REH039 700/1,000
4545. GREENER GUN HARPOON FOR A BOW-MOUNTED GREENER GUN
19th Century
Two swivel barbs with stop withers. Length 48.75”. REH527
1,000/1,500
4546. LARGE GREENER-STYLE MOVEABLE BARB HARPOON
19th Century
Likely Norwegian. With two swivel barbs. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 1, 1979. Length 49”. REH051
4547. GREENER DOUBLE-FLUE HARPOON
19th Century
1,000/1,500
Signed “W Greener”. Marked “Margaret London” for the London whaleship Margaret, which was listed in Lloyd’s 1850 register as a “prize” vessel that departed for the South Seas in 1849. Hellman Collection acquisition date April 1, 1986. Length 44”. REH080
1,400/1,800
4548. SINGLE-FLUE HARPOON FOR A BOW GUN
19th Century
Stamped “JB”, probably for James Barton, New Bedford. Hellman Collection acquisition date June 24, 1981. Length 45.25”. REH065
1,500/2,500
4549. CUTTING SPADE CONVERTED TO A GALLEY FOOD CHOPPER
19th Century
Blade stamped “FM”. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 1, 1971. Length 8”. REH172 300/400
4550. LANTERN KEG
19th Century
Used on a whaleship to store materials in case of emergency. Under old gray paint. Iron bands at top, middle and bottom. Height 18.75”. Diameter at bottom 11”. REH333. 500/1,000
Provenance: Morgan Levine Collection.
19th Century Height 20”. Width 11”. 500/1,000
London, 19th Century
Signed “Spencer Browning & Rust London”. Ebonized wood frame with brass mounts. Wedge-shaped wooden case with two paper labels. Includes papers suggesting the octant was owned by Edwin A. Luce, master of clipper ship Onward, 1856. Case 14” x 13.25”. REH435 700/1,000
London, 19th Century
Signed “Hughes London”. Skeletonized frame. Wedge-shaped wooden case with two labels pertaining to New Bedford chandlers. Case 11.25” x 14.25”. REH434 500/800
18th and 19th Century
“View of the Whale Fisher, &c. in Greenland” and “The Mysticetus or Common Whale”. Framed 15.25” x 11.25” and 7.75” x 9.75”. REH643 and REH591 100/200
20th Century
Framed 14” x 16.75”. REH644. 150/250
20th Century
Includes a copy of American Whalers in the Western Arctic (Fairhaven, Mass.: Edward J. Lefkowicz Inc., 1983), a portfolio of Gilkerson’s prints, and a triptych, one with a color remarque of a whaling scene. Triptych framed 27” x 21” and 23” x 24.25”. REH425 1,000/2,000
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Bear, constructed as a sealer, sailed with whaleships, helping to rescue whalemen in distress. Model, probably sailor-made, under standing rigging and with whaleboats on davits. Lot includes a copy of the book Track of the Bear. Case height 22”. Length 35.5”. Width 12.5”. REH500
1,500/3,000
Bear was constructed as a sealer in Dundee, Scotland in 1874. Her well-documented 89-year career included the 1884 discovery and rescue of the Greely expedition, service in Alaska as a U.S. Revenue Cutter, being caught in the ice on several occasions, participating in the U.S. Antarctic Expeditions of 1939 and 1941, and taking part in the capture of a German-outfitted Norwegian trawler spying on Allied ship movements.
19th Century Hellman Collection acquisition date July 31, 1996. Length 39.75”. REH215. 3,500/5,000
19th Century
By Cuttingham and Cogan. Breech-loading gun signed “H.W. Chapman”. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 1, 1977. Gun length 34.5”. REH217 3,500/5,000
19th Century
Used for extracting blanket pieces of blubber over 1,000 pounds. Blubber hooks of this size are rare in today’s market. Approx. length 39”. REH315. 500/1,000
4562. RARE DIAMOND-POINTED TOGGLE HEAD HARPOON
19th Century
Retains intact manila line. Hellman notes the diamond-point head is very rare as the design was flawed and self-defeating because the lower cutting edge allowed the iron to cut its way out of the whale. Hellman Collection acquisition date March 1, 1980. Length 34.5”. REH060
Provenance:
1,200/1,800
Purchased from a dealer who claimed to have acquired it in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
4563. DOUBLE-FLUE HARPOON
19th Century
4565. WALRUS HUNTING DOUBLE-FLUE HARPOON
19th Century
For use in a Greener-style bow-mounted gun. Hellman Collection acquisition date May 1, 1980. Length 30.5”. REH049 1,200/1,500
2,000/2,500
Signed “W. Hurst” and marked “Phoenix 1832” for the whaleship Phoenix, which operated from the northern English port of Whitby. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 14, 1993. Length 32”. REH116.
Provenance: Barbara Johnson Collection.
4564. OLIVER ALLEN-PATENTED "CLOVER LEAF" IRON
19th Century
Patented in 1848. Designed for a 7/8-inch bore shoulder gun. Hellman Collection acquisition date March 1, 1974. Length 46.25”. REH025
700/1,200
4566. DOUBLE-FLUE GROMMET IRON ATTRIBUTED TO W. SMITH & SON
19th Century
Probably used for small cetaceans. Moveable barbs. Hellman Collection acquisition date July 1, 1977. Length 22”. REH046 500/800
4567. SWIVEL-BARBED GROMMET IRON
19th Century
For cetaceans. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 1, 1980. Length 27.25”. REH057
600/900
4568. BOMB HARPOON GUN ON POLE
19th Century
By Patrick Cunningham. Second model. Patent date on barrel “Feb 28 1882”. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 8, 1980. Total length 67.5”. REH248 1,800/2,500
4569. TWO HAND-FORGED FISHING HARPOONS
19th Century
One double-flue and one with a lance-like point. Hellman Collection acquisition dates May 1, 1977 and July 1, 1982. Lengths 10.25” and 11”. REH040 and REH042 500/700
4570. GROMMET IRON FOR SMALL CETACEANS
19th Century
Mostly used for porpoise, blackfish and pilot whales. Hellman Collection acquisition date May 1, 1985. Length 26.5”. REH089 300/500
4571. HIGHLY UNUSUAL TEMPLE-TYPE DARTING GUN TOGGLE-HEAD HARPOON
19th Century
Notable for a round whale-line loop, instead of the usual teardrop shape, and for the loop’s location 90 degrees from its typical position at the top of the shaft. Sailcloth and wooden sheath. Hellman Collection acquisition date August 4, 2007. Length 30.25”. REH268 1,000/1,500
4574. RANDALL DETACHABLE HEAD HARPOON
19th Century
Designed and patented by Charles Randall of Palmyra, Georgia, December 3, 1846. Hellman Collection acquisition date March 1, 1982. Length 34”. REH076. 1,200/1,500
4575. LOW PROFILE TOGGLE HARPOON
19th Century
Possibly Japanese, though Barbara Johnson believed it to be for Long Island shore whaling. Hellman Collection acquisition date September 25, 1982. Length 27.25”.
REH078 400/800
Provenance:
Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Sotheby’s New York, September 24-25, 1982, Lot #338.
4576. LARGE GREENER-STYLE MOVEABLE BARB IRON
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Diamond-shaped tip. Purportedly from a shore whaling station on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Hellman Collection acquisition date July 1, 1978. Length 46.75”.
REH034 1,000/1,500
4577. PORPOISE TOGGLE HARPOON
19th Century
Cone wrapped with twine and manila rope. Length 23.5”. REH431 400/600
4578. EARLY CUTTING SPADE
4572.
19th Century
Possibly used for dolphins or swordfish. Hellman Collection acquisition date July 1, 1978. Length 24.75”. REH041 600/900
Possibly Nantucket, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Stamped “RF”. Retains a section of wooden pole. Length 34.5”. REH507 400/600
4579. BOAT SPADE
19th Century
4573.
20th Century
Hellman describes this as an “exaggerated reproduction”, made in the Peters/Driggs ship’s smith shop at Mystic Seaport, 1986, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Driggs whalecraft shop. Hellman Collection acquisition date December 15, 1985. Length 32”.
REH081. 250/350
For cutting and trying out. Retains original but unusual sheath, carved from a single piece of pine. Length 19”. REH606 500/700
4580. LILY IRON
19th Century
Made for porpoise and other cetaceans or large fish. Four-flue swivel barbs. Hellman Collection acquisition date October 1, 1975. Length 35”. REH036 800/1,200
1,000/1,500
19th Century Stamped on collar “SSS”. Wooden pole. Length 78”. 2,000/3,000
Provenance: Purchased from Paul Vardeman, Kansas City, Missouri, according to the consignor. The Collection of Michael Gill.
2,000/3,000
New
Century Mounted on its original pole and complete with original harpoon and bomb lance. Harpoon made by Macy and stamped “LB” for larboard boat and with vessel markings “BK SPM” or “BK SDM”, possibly for the bark Sunbeam. Brass bomb lance marked “Pierce”. Length 84.5”. 1,800/2,500
Provenance: Maritime Antiques, Inc., York, Maine, 2010. The Collection of Michael Gill.
Provenance: The Collection of Michael Gill.
800/1,200
Provenance:
Provenance: Purportedly purchased from Clifford Ashley.
Provenance: The
1995
Round, with swing handles. Each with contrasting wooden ears and wooden bases. All with a 1995 penny inserted into the base and signed “Bill Sevrens Nantucket”. Largest height to rim 6.5”. Diameter 12”. 4,000/6,000
William “Bill” Sevrens (1916-2001) was born in Boston but had strong family connections to Nantucket, visiting the island each summer and eventually moving there as a teenager. He learned basket making from the legendary Mitchell Ray, who suggested Bill mark his basket in some way to distinguish them from Ray’s baskets. Bill glued a new penny inside his baskets, which he thought was also a nice way of dating them. He maintained the penny tradition throughout his career and it was eventually adopted by other basket makers.
4595. LARGE NANTUCKET BASKET
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Round, with swing handle. Turned hardwood base plate. Height to rim 8.25”. Diameter 12.75”. 900/1,200
4596. SMALL NANTUCKET LIGHTSHIP BASKET
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Oval, with swing handle. Deep rich patina. Height to rim 4”. Length 7.5”. Width 5.5”. 400/600
4597. LARGE NANTUCKET BASKET
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Oval, with swing handle. Deep, rich patina. Height to rim 6.75”. Length 15.5”. Width 12”. 600/900
NANTUCKET BASKET "FRIENDSHIP" PURSE
Circa 1965
Oval, with characteristic “square style” swing handle. Four carved whales mounted to top of hinged lid. Signed on underside “Made in Nantucket Jose Formoso Reyes”. Height 7.5”. Width 11.5”. 6,000/9,000
4599. MIKE KANE NANTUCKET BASKET PURSE
Dated 1976
Oval, with swing handle. Carved goose mounted to top of hinged lid. Owner’s plaque mounted to interior of lid. 1976 penny affixed to interior of base. Incised signature and date on underside “Made by Mike Kane 1976 Nantucket Island”. Height 7.5”. Width 10”. 1,000/1,500
Early 19th Century Sliding domed cover with extensive foliate and geometric carvings. Secondary sliding lid with pierced cribbage board and coordinating carved foliate design. Contains 29 polychrome dominoes and two cribbage
Early 19th Century Geometric designs throughout accented with polychrome sealing wax. Sliding lid. Contains dominoes. Height 2”. Length 7.25”. Width 2.5”. 500/1,000
Early 19th Century Pierced top carved with hearts, clubs, crossed keys and other geometric shapes. Includes 55 dominoes.
Height 1.375”. Length 5.25”. Width 1.375”. 800/1,200
Provenance: E. Norman Flayderman. Private Rhode Island Collection.
Early 19th Century
Peaked sliding lid with inset watercolor bust portraits under glass. Additional watercolor portraits around the sides of the box, for a total of ten. Overhanging fancy-carved and piqued gallery along two sides of the top. Scalloped and opposing heart blind fretwork throughout, some sections backed by green paper. Carved corner posts with mushroom finials. Contains three dice, a teetotum, four cribbage pegs, a full deck of polychrome playing cards, and a set of dominoes with red and blue lines. Height 4.5”. Length 10”. Width 4.5”. 2,000/3,000
19th Century
Top depicts a joker flanked by face cards for the king and queen of spades. Contains polychrome bone playing cards. Height 1”. Length 4.25”. Width 2”. 500/1,000
Early 19th Century
Top and sides carved with hearts and other geometric designs backed by colored foil and paper. Skirt with swag design. Compartmented interior. Label on interior with additional information. Height 2.75”. Length 8.5”. Width 6.25”. 800/1,200
Early 19th Century
Upper tier with a woman working a spinning wheel and a windmill. Height 5.25”. 1,200/1,800
French/English, Early 19th Century
Finely carved and detailed mechanized two-tier model with traces of polychroming. Turning the crank animates the three female figures, the spinning wheel and the windmill on the upper platform. One of the women is standing with her spotted dog on a leash. The other two women, both in the typical large bonnets, are seated in high-back stools, one rocking a baby and the other working the spinning wheel. Lower platform with hand crank, three pierced wheels, etc. Platforms joined by turned columns and are raised on a turned foot. Height 5.25”. Width 3”. Depth 2”. In contemporary oval boxwood box. 2,500/3,500
Early 19th Century
Monumental form with watch aperture and a drawer. Red and green foliate and carved geometric designs throughout. Height 10.5”. Width 6.75”. Depth 3.5”. 1,000/1,500
MODEL OF THE 90-GUN SHIP OF THE LINE H.M.S. OCEAN England,
built up from the solid and planked in bone with faux trunnels and mahogany bands between the gun decks. Keel running up to the stem and supporting a polychrome figurehead of Neptune at the bow. Stern fitted with quarter galleries and transom detailed with windows and balcony. Decks also planked in bone and detailed with head rails, pin and fife rails, coils of line, deck grating, stove pipe, cannons lashed to deck, an open waist supporting three rigged and detailed ship’s boats, water casks, capstan, raised poop deck, etc. Rigged with a bowsprit, three masts with trees and tops, standing and running rigging, deadeyes, turning blocks, etc. Displayed on a bone base on a pair of bone stanchions, and tied down with anchor and other lines. Model height 19”. Length 24”. Width 8.5”. 4,000/6,000
4611
4610. NAPOLEONIC PRISONER-OF-WAR DIORAMA OF THE CRUCIFIXION
Early 19th Century
Finely detailed bone carving of Jesus on the cross, two disciples, two spears, a ladder, three dice and carved gates with crosses. Straw-work box with curtains. Height 10.5”. Width 8”. Depth 5”.
1,500/2,500
4611. NAPOLEONIC PRISONER-OF-WAR BONE GUILLOTINE
Early 19th Century
Polychrome executioner. Nicely detailed. Height 9.25”. Length 5”. Width 1.5”.
1,500/2,500
4612. PAPIER-MÂCHÉ SNUFF BOX
19th Century
Depicts a highly detailed scene from the Battle of Waterloo. Diameter 4.125”.
2,000/3,000
Rhode Island/Massachusetts, 1752-1845
Portrait of the “Brig Cruger of Salem” off Naples. Unsigned. Gouache on paper, 20” x 25”. Framed 23.5” x 28.5”.
1,500/2,000
The Netherlands/Belgium, 1799-1855
“Ellison of New Castle Capt. R. Stephenson 1846”. Signed lower right “P Weyts Antwerp”. Titled lower margin. Reverse painting on glass, 20.5” x 27.25” sight. Framed 26.25” x 33”. 2,000/2,500
Ship moored ship off a fortified coast. Unsigned. Oil on canvas, 12.25” x 20”.
20” x 28”.
1,200/1,800
Ships
4620.
AND IMPORTANT VOLUME GUILIELMI GILBERTI COLCESTRENSIS, MEDICI LONDINENSIS, DE MAGNETE London: Excudebat Petrus Short, 1600. A compilation of opinions pertaining to the magnet. Also details and illustrates various experiments on attraction, orientation in relation to the earth’s poles and use in navigation. Missing the title page, preface and index, but appears to otherwise be complete. Contemporary slipcases. Accompanied by documents and research pertaining to the book. Cases 12” x 8.5” and 12.25” x 9.5”. 8,000/10,000
Gilbert was a physician to Queen Elizabeth I. This book is among the first known to employ the experimental method of science.
Dated 1699
Signed and dated on the side of the ebony shaft “A Tade * 1699”, approx. 5” up from the square end. Sides with graduated scales for altitude and zenith distances. Four pearwood vanes with wing-shaped brass set screws. Smallest vane is 3.5” in length and 1.5” wide and has an elk horn sighting vane required when using the instrument as a backstaff. Two largest vanes are 15.25” and 24.125” in length and 1.5” wide. The second-smallest vane is 7.5” in length and 1.5” wide and is original to the instrument, signed in ink “D de Waay”, believed to be that of an owner. The vane has a replacement brass aperture disc fitted to one end for using the instrument as a backstaff. The brass set screw is also a replacement. Shaft .53” x 32.5”. Height on stand 24”. Length on stand 32.5”. 20,000/30,000
Provenance:
A private collection.
Antiquairs, Grijpma & Van Hoogen, Groningen, purchased from the above circa 1990. Hyland Granby Antiques, Hyannisport, Massachusetts, purchased from the above circa 1997. Purchased from the above 1998.
The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
References:
"The Cross-Staff, History and Development of a Navigational Instrument” by Willem F.J. Mörzer Bruyns, Rijksmuseum Nederlands Scheepvaart Museum; Zutphen, Walburg Institute, 1994. Historical information on p. 14-16, 20-30 and 53.
“Bulletin #80 of the Scientific Instrument Society” by Willem F.J. Mörzer Bruyns, March 2004.
The definitive treatise on these instruments, “The Cross-Staff, History and Development of a Navigational Instrument” by W.F.J. Mörzer Bruyns, contains a list of all known instruments extant. This instrument is listed on p. 53, number 15 in oldest date order, and is the only known cross-staff by this maker. There are only four older instruments in good or very good condition and this is the only 17th Century example in private hands. Less than 100 cross-staffs exist in any condition throughout the world. Of these, only about 40 are in good to very good condition with at least one original vane. Of these, most are in institutions.
Cross-staffs were first described and probably invented around 1342 by the Catalan-born Jewish philosopher and scientist Levi Ben Gerson (12881344), then living in Avignon. It was then used only by astronomers. Its use was introduced at sea by the Portuguese around 1515, about 50 years after the quadrant and the astrolabe, probably inspired by Vasco da Gama’s observing the Arab’s use of the kamal in 1498. Initially the Portuguese used it to measure the altitude of the Pole star, preferring the mariner’s astrolabe or the nautical quadrant for sun sights. In the southern hemisphere they observed a star in the Southern Cross, although this required the application of a much larger correction than that of the North Star observation.
While the backstaff was developed by Davis in 1595, and was popular for almost 200 years, the cross-staff continued in active use. Many, especially the Dutch, considered its ease and accuracy of construction and its ability to make accurate sights preferable to the backstaff. The cross-staff was finally supplanted in the Dutch East India Company ships about 1750 by the octant and later the sextant.
18th Century
Portrait of Spanish captain Don Juan de Dios Parreno Y Pardo, seated a table covered with maps and nautical instruments and with a ship visible over his shoulder. Unsigned. Old auction catalog description affixed verso. Oil on canvas, 28” x 21.5”. Framed 35.5” x 28.5”. 8,000/12,000
Provenance:
Archduke Ludwig Viktor Joseph Anton of Austria (1842-1919), youngest brother of Emperor Franz Josef I. Coleccion Rafael Garcia, Madrid. Hearst Collection.
Parke-Bernet Galleries, Hearst Corporation Sale, May 17, 1963, Lot #95.
Mrs. S.D. Preston. Doyle New York auction. Clyde Talmadge Gatlin (1930-2019) Estate, Southbury, Connecticut. Schwenke Auctioneers.
In 1566 Spanish explorer Juan Pardo led a 125-man expedition from coastal South Carolina into North Carolina's Piedmont, meeting natives, building forts and leaving garrisons to man them. On his second expedition in 1567, he and his men reached as far as eastern Tennessee. Spanish presence in the Carolinas lasted 18 months, and the forts built under Juan Pardo were the first European forts in the interior of what is now the United States. In 1569, he departed Florida and returned to Spain.
Late 18th/Early 19th Century Engraved “J.E. Hand Phila PA”. Brass dial and gimbal. Sight mounts. Dovetailed case with brass side handles. Case height 7.5”. Width 10.5”. Depth 10.5”. 300/500
18th Century
Engraved “Ramsden : London” on inset ivory plaque. Rosewood frame with brass mounts and ivory degree scale. Wedge-shaped wooden case. Case height 4.5”. Width 14.5”. Depth 16.75”. 500/1,000
4627. DECAHEDRAL TELESCOPE
Probably England, 18th Century Walnut tube. Length extended 44”. 800/1,200
4628. RARE JOHN TROUGHTON CASED BRASS MICROSCOPE
London, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Brass tube engraved “Troughton London”. Original walnut steepletop case with a removable stand and a fitted drawer containing numerous parts for the scope (some lenses not present). Case also with maker’s label. Case height 17”. Width 7.5”. Depth 6.75”. 500/800
4629. DECAHEDRAL TELESCOPE
Late 18th/Early 19th Century Mahogany tube. Engraved on brass “Dolland London”. Length 25.5”. 800/1,200
London, 18th/Early 19th Century
Rosewood frame. Marked “G. Adams Fleet Street, London”. Length 20”. Width 17”. 1,000/2,000
Late 18th/Early 19th Century
Marked “Ramsden London”. Wedge-shaped wooden case. Case height 4.5”. Width 15”. Depth 13.5”. 500/1,000
Late 18th/Early 19th Century
Mahogany frame with boxwood scale. Unmarked. Length 19.5”. Width 16.5”. 500/1,000
Late 18th/Early 19th Century Wooden tube.
Length closed 38”. 500/1,000
Early 19th Century
Unmarked. Case length 7”. 300/400
Late 18th Century ebony T-frame octant, unsigned, with an inset ivory scale calibrated from -5 - 95 and a 17” brass index arm with ivory vernier reading from right to left “0 5 10 15 20”, providing a reading with an accuracy of 1 arc minute. The index arm has a tangent screw fine adjustment feature introduced in the Late 18th Century. Fitted with dual peephole sight, three colored filters, mirrors, brass feet and other details, but it is missing the ivory name plate. The painted black box is heavily worn commensurate with use and age. Lot also includes Colman’s brass navigational dividers, length 7”, and his binoculars with shagreen-covered grips, length 7.25” and width 5”, signed on each eyepiece “LeMaire Fab - Paris”. 1,200/1,800
Provenance:
The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
Captain Moses Rich Colman was born in Scituate, Massachusetts in 1807. He went to sea at the age of nine, held his first command circa 1842, and retired in 1864. He commanded the schooner Manson, the brig Sarah, the bark Sarah, and the medium clipper Asa Eldridge. During the Civil War he remained out of the country with his ship for 43 months, partly to avoid capture by the Confederate raider Alabama. He never lost or suffered severe damage to any ship he commanded.
America, Late 18th Century
Marked “Ship Birmingham Packet of Philadelphia 6 Octr 1790” in raised lettering. Complete with clapper. Likely made to commemorate the launch of the ship. Height 14”. Diameter 14.5”.
2,500/3,500
Built and launched in 1790, the 300-ton Birmingham Packet sailed for 16 years before running aground on Christmas Day opposite the Cara Isle on the Mull of Kintyre under the command of Captain Bowden.
Portrait of a sea captain holding a telescope and with an expansive view of the ocean behind him. Unsigned. Oil on canvas, 32” x 27”. Framed 36.5” x 31”. 1,000/2,000
Second Quarter of the 20th Century Case’s base with quarter-fan and line inlay. Plaque on base marked “The Constitution Old Ironsides”.
Case height 27.5”. Length 39.75”.
Width 19.75”. 1,500/2,500
Engraved by Abel Bown after a drawing by William Lynn. Rare broadside depiction of “Old Ironsides”. Engraving with aquatint, 18” x 21”. Framed 24” x 28”. 1,000/3,000
Colorful Pennsylvania Dutch Fraktur-style design of diamonds and stylized flowers arches around a bust portrait of “Captn Lawrence”, identified within a hexagonal medallion below a “Don’t Give Up the Ship” banner. Lawrence, who commanded the U.S.S. Chesapeake and died during its battle with the H.M.S. Shannon during the War of 1812, is portrayed in his naval jacket and epaulets, and a sinking ship is visible on the horizon. His last words were the famous cry “Don’t give up the ship!”. Watercolor and ink on paper, 10” x 8”. Framed 13.75” x 12”. 3,000/5,000
20th Century Length 43”. 800/1,200
20th Century
1) Bellamy-style gold-colored eagle with a red, white and blue “Don’t Give up the Ship” banner. Length 29”.
2) Carved and gilded. Length 18”. 300/500
20th Century
Displayed
height approx. 28.75”. Length approx. 39”.
Case height 63”. Length 46”. Width 19”. 1,000/1,500
19th Century
Typical brass inset hardware and bindings. Half drawers over three full-width drawers. Bun feet. Height 42”. Width 42”. Depth 18”. 1,500/2,000
19th Century
In mahogany. Upper section with half drawers over a full-width drawer. Lower section with two full-width drawers and turned bun feet. Height 40.5”. Width 42”. Depth 19”. 1,800/2,200
19th Century
Portrait of a ship captain seated a table with a chart and compass, and with a view of a ship sailing the Mediterranean over his shoulder. Unsigned. Oil on canvas, 29.5” x 24.5”. Framed 34” x 29.5”. 1,000/2,000
19th Century
Unmarked. Includes a detachable brass and hardwood handle and three detachable lenses. Walnut case. Case height 3.75”. Width 12”. Depth 12”. 500/700
"The
4651. WILLIAM HENRY COFFIN
Massachusetts, 1812-1898
Ships in Boston Harbor. Signed and dated lower right “W.H. Coffin 90”. Oil on canvas, 18” x 26”. Framed 22.5” x 29.5”. 800/1,200
4652. ATTRIBUTED TO EDWARD MORAN
Pennsylvania/New York, 1829-1901
Vessels under ominous clouds. Unsigned. Label verso for the Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania. Oil on canvas, 24” x 36”. Framed 34” x 45”. 2,500/3,500
4653. AMERICAN SCHOOL
19th Century
Portrait of a schooner. Signed and dated lower left “W.M. 67”. Oil on canvas, 20” x 30”. Framed 23” x 33”. 1,500/2,000
4654. E. & G.W. BLUNT CASED SEXTANT
New York, 19th Century
Ebonized frame with brass mounts and lenses. Wedge-shaped oak case. Case length 14”. Width 12.75”. 500/1,000
4655. THREE-DRAW BRASS AND MAHOGANY TELESCOPE
London, 19th Century
Marked “Dolland London”. Length closed 16.75”. Length open 40”. 400/600
Late 19th Century
Hand-stitched.
1,200/1,800
19th Century
Burled
Late
Composed
1,800/2,200
1,500/2,500
19th Century
Dovetail
Mid-19th Century
Allover
and
Circa 1840
Traditional inset brass hardware. Upper case with a deep drawer at left, a secretary drawer at center and a stack of two narrow drawers at right, all over two half drawers. Lower case with two full-width drawers, a boldly molded base and turned feet. Drawers with inset brass hardware and ebony string inlay. Case with reeded moldings around drawer fronts. Height 43.5”. Width 40.75”. Depth 19.5”. 3,000/4,000
Provenance: Hyland Granby Antiques, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
Hong Kong, 19th
A junk preparing for a storm, 1870. Signed lower right “Yo Chow Mu”. Oil on canvas, 8” x 10.5”. Framed 12.5” x 15”. 500/800
Early 19th Century
China Trade portrait of a sea captain, circa 1810. Possibly by Tonqua the Younger. Unsigned. Oil on canvas, 14” x 11”. Framed 15.75” x 13”. 1,200/1,800
Provenance: Eldred’s, 1995. The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
China Trade painting of a woman holding a baby and a fan, with a silver and coral rattle at her feet. London label verso. Unlined. Oil on board, 11” x 9”. Framed 13” x 11”. 1,000/1,500
Portrait of a young American woman. Unsigned but skillfully painted, probably from a photograph, for the China Trade. Chinese artists often worked from daguerreotypes, or, when painting from life, followed the daguerreotype style of imagery.
Oil on canvas, 27.5” x 22.75”. Framed 32.25” x 27”. 1,200/1,800
Provenance: The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
4666. MAHOGANY AND BRASS SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE CANE
England, 19th Century
Marked “J. Bloomfield Market Avenue Ashton Under Lyne”. Length as cane 32.25”. 400/600
4667. FIVE-DRAW TELESCOPE CANE
London, Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Marked “J.H. Steward 457 Strand 7 Gracechurch St London”. Telescope handle. Length 35.5”. 400/600
4668. SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE CANE
London, 19th Century
Marked “G&W. Proctor London”. Whale ivory handle. Leather wrap. Length as cane 32.75”. 600/900
4669. SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE CANE
19th Century
Leather wrap. Brass ferrule. Unmarked. Length as cane 32.5”. 500/800
4670. POLYCHROME CARVED WOODEN TRADE FIGURE "MARY ANN"
England, Circa 1850
In the form of a ship’s figurehead of a three-quarter woman and probably mounted in a tavern or a ship’s chandlery. “Mary Ann” was named by Joshua Quiton, Esq., of Devon, England, in honor of his servant, Mary Ann, who saved his two children from drowning. The figure is in a blue-green hat with gilded ribbon and a red dress, and she holds the bottom of her dark servant’s apron in her right hand. She has well-articulated facial features and a beatific smile. Old in-service paint with a nicely crackled and aged appearance showing traces of the original gold leaf surface. On a contemporary two-part stand. Total height 45”. 3,000/5,000
Provenance:
Collection of Jacob Isbrandtsen, American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines, New York.
Marine Arts Gallery, Salem, Massachusetts, 1975.
Exhibited: South Street Seaport Museum, New York, 1971.
United Kingdom, 1811-1882
A masterful example of Walter’s work, depicting the Champlain in two positions headed into Liverpool, with the Trinity House Stack Lighthouse in the distance. In the second position, as seen from her stern, Pilot Boat 6 serves as an escort. Finely detailed deck work showing numerous figures and a figurehead of Samuel Champlain in kilt with musket. Signed and dated lower right “S. Walters 1838”. Oil on canvas, 33” x 48”. Framed 42.5” x 57.5”.
Canada/United Kingdom, 1847-1921
When launched in November 1890, Shenandoah was the largest sailing ship in terms of cargo carrying capacity built in the United States up to that time. Carrying 33,000 square feet of sail, she was also extremely fast. For most of her career she was employed in the Cape Horn Trade to San Francisco, carrying general cargo and later bulk cargoes of wheat and coal. Shenandoah’s long and successful career was ended off the beaches of Fire Island when she was rammed by the steamship Powhattan and sank. Her wreck was blown up by the U.S. Coast Guard in March 1916.
Provenance:
Christie’s Maritime Sale, New York, 2001. The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
Massachusetts/New York/Vermont/Holland, 1853-1889
“Windy Day Coast of Holland”. Signed and dated lower right “H. Chase Scheveningen 1879”. Oil on canvas, 20” x 38”. Framed 28” x 45.5”. 3,000/5,000
Massachusetts, 1850-1921
“Boating in the Bay”. Signed lower left “Marshall Johnson”. Reverse with exhibit label and label for Veerhoff Galleries, Washington, D.C. Oil on canvas, 24” x 36”.
Framed 35” x 47”. 1,000/1,500
Massachusetts/California/Maine, 1841-1914
Fishing in the fog. Signed and dated lower left “W. Weber 1876”. Oil on canvas, 16.25” x 25.25”. Framed 21” x 30”. 4,000/6,000
New York/Massachusetts, 1876-1910
Sailing at sunset. Signed lower right “Otis S. Weber”. Oil on canvas, 16” x 24”. Framed 25” x 33”. 1,500/2,500
Vessels
Provenance: Allison Gallery, New York. Ritz
6,000/8,000
Reference:
Dictionary of Sea Painters by E.H.H. Archibald (England: Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., 1980), p. 67 describes the artist “Carl Ludwig Bille was born in Copenhagen; he was a sailor turned artist ... He developed a style which must have influenced Vilhelm Melbye (q.v.), whose work is very close. This made him popular with Scandinavian and British collectors.”
American Light by John Wilmerding (N.Y.: Harper & Row, 1980), p. 109 illustrates a similar 1853 painting by Fitz Hugh Lane, now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
4683. PRINCE OF WALES COMMEMORATIVE SHIP’S WHEEL
Canada or America, Mid-19th Century
One of the fanciest and well-constructed ship’s wheels we have examined, commemorating Edward Prince of Wales’s trip to Canada and the United States in 1860. In mahogany and oak with brass diamond, stud and stylized floriform inlay and eight beautifully turned handles and spokes. Turned hub with a heavy brass ring around the perimeter and a central brass plate engraved “Str. Forest Queen Union Line 1848”. Two brass plaques mounted on opposite sides of the wheel, one engraved “This is the Wheel that A.E. Prince of Wales assisted in Steering the Steamer on his Excursion to Fredericton 1860”, and the other “A.E. Prince of Wales Excursion Trip on River St. John up to F’ton Aug. 4th down to St. John 7th 1860”. Plaques probably applied after the wheel was removed from the ship. Further modified with a mounting plate affixed to the back so it can be secured to a wall and 5” turned posts applied to the front at each spoke for hanging hats and coats. Beautiful age patina. Diameter 48”. Depth 7.5”. 7,000/10,000
Provenance:
The collection of Jean E. and Joseph G. Sawtelle, illustrated in their book Maritime Portsmouth: The Sawtelle Collection edited by Richard M. Candee.
Reference:
August 4, 1860 New York Times coverage of the trip indicated the prince went onboard the Forest Queen and included a “Map of the Route of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales”.
The Prince Of Wales In Canada and The United States by N.A. Woods (London: Bradbury & Evans, 1861), p. 49 notes “Here on the Kennebekasis River, a noble branch of the St. John, the royal party embarked on board the ‘Forest Queen’ and went by water up to Fredericton ...”. The volume also has a fold-out “Map of the Route of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales” at the front.
Prince Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, was the first member of the Royal family to ever visit North America. Huge celebrations welcomed the 19-year-old heir to the throne wherever he went, and crowds followed him in the streets. During part of his trip, the prince traveled aboard the “Forest Queen”, a steamship that plied the St. John River between 1848 and 1867, with members of the legislature and press. Edward’s visit prompted warm diplomatic relations between Britain and the United States, which quickly ended with the onset of the Civil War.
Dated 1869
A rare and early signed and dated example. Depicts the famous and celebrated Pilot Boat No. 8 approaching a square-rigged American merchant ship in New York Harbor, with a small rowboat with oarsmen in the foreground. The pilot boat is flying an “Isaac Webb” banner off the gaff and an American flag from the main mast. The merchant ship is flying an American flag, an American merchant flag and an American pennant, and has five well-detailed sailors in merchant uniform standing on the bow. Well-constructed hulls, decks and sails made from paper and cardboard. Painted sky and water. Signed lower right “T. Sanderwick, Staten Island Sept. 22nd, 1869”. Not only is this one of the earliest signed and dated dioramas we have seen, it is of the highest quality and has a remarkable 3D effect. Housed in its original wood frame with gold liner and original glass. Height 21.5”. Width 27.5”. 2,500/3,500
William Webb was considered one of America’s leading designers and builders of merchant and sailing ships. In 1860 he designed a pilot boat for New York Harbor and named it after his father, Isaac Webb. The Isaac Webb was 95 tons, 72 feet in length, 20 feet in breadth and she drew 7 feet. See Merchant Sail 1876-1947 Volume V by William Armstrong Fairburn, p. 2803.
High-quality casting, possibly a unique design for a specific 19th Century American naval vessel. Depicts 13 stars backed by sun rays, draped American flags, a Liberty shield, crossed cannons and an “E Pluribus Unum” banner, all surrounded by a rope border with loops at the lower corners. Domed at top and mounting holes at sides and base. Verdigris patina. Probably one of a pair. On custom wood stand. Board height 40.25”. Width 15.75”. Total height 60.5”. Width 27.75”. Depth 15”. 4,000/6,000 4685
4686. CHART OF BOSTON HARBOR
Published 1857. Under the direction of A.D. Bache, Superintendent of the Survey of the Coast of the United States, hydrography by the party under the command of C.H. Davis of the U.S. Navy. Shows six vignettes of coastlines around Boston. Framed 32” x 39”.
1,500/2,500
19th Century
Marked “Thomas Jones Charing Cross London Object Glass by Troughton & Simms 1868”. Complete with extendable wood and brass tripod. Original walnut case with brass bail handles. Case height 5.25”. Width 33”. Depth 9.75”.
1,500/2,500
19th Century
Marked “J. Hick’s London”. Folding handle and detachable scope. Diameter 5”. Total length 9.25”. 800/1,200
4689. BRASS AND MAHOGANY
THREE-DRAW DAY/NIGHT TELESCOPE
19th Century
Marked “Sims London”. Length closed 12”. Length extended 32.5”. 300/500
4690. CASED DRUM SEXTANT
19th Century
Engraved “Stanley London”. Leather handled case. Includes lens. Height 2.5”. Diameter 4.25”. Case height 4.75”. Width 6”. Diameter 3.25”. 500/1,000
4691. ENGLISH TABLETOP TELESCOPE
19th Century
Brass tube, fittings and tripod base. Height approx. 19”. Tube length 27.5”. Lens diameter 2”. 500/1,000
4692. TWO BRASS DOUBLE T-FRAME SEXTANTS
19th Century
Both marked “Troughton & Simms”. Largest length 11”. Width 11.5”. 500/1,000
4693. CASED BRASS SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “Dolland London” and “J.FD Artenay”. Brass plaque on lid engraved “Reuben Eldridge Jun Yarmouth US”. Paper label on interior of case, possibly marked “Alexander Catrn’s”. Wedgeshaped wooden case. Case height 5”. Width 16.5”. Depth 12.75”. 500/1,000
4694. CASED BRASS T-FRAME SEXTANT 19th Century Engraved “Spencer & Co. London”. Case height 6”. Width 11.75”. Depth 10.25”. 300/500
4695. CASED BRASS SKELETONIZED SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “Allan London”. Wedge-shaped walnut case. Case height 4.75”. Width 10.25”. Depth 13”. 400/600
4696. CASED BRASS DOUBLE-FRAME SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “Troughton London”. Wedge-shaped rosewood case. Case height 5”. Width 15”. Depth 12.5”. 600/900
4697. BRASS FOUR-DRAW DAY/NIGHT TELESCOPE
19th Century
Tube engraved “Ramsden London”. Partial mahogany cover. Length closed 10.5”. 400/600
4698. SURVEY POCKET COMPASS
19th Century
Green paper dial marked “Troughton & Simms London”. With scope. Diameter 3”. 200/300
Massachusetts/California,
“Sailing
3,500/4,500
New York/California/United
“The
32.5”
40.5”. 1,800/2,500
Ship
Portrait
19th
Circular
Probably
Maine, 1910-1990
“Red Jacket” diorama. Depicts the famous clipper ship in the ice off Cape Horn on a passage from Australia to Liverpool in 1854, after an N. Currier print. Thomas created several dioramas in the 1930s of American clipper ships based on Currier & Ives prints. Signed and dated lower right “L.H. Thomas 39”. Titled in lower margin. Bas-relief wooden sails and hull and oil on panel, 18” x 24”. Framed 19.5” x 25.75”. 400/600
The Red Jacket, the first ship of the White Star Line, was one of the largest and fastest clippers ever built, setting the speed record for an Atlantic crossing on her maiden voyage when she sailed from New York to Liverpool in 13 days, 1 hour, 25 minutes. She was designed by Samuel Hartt Pook, built by George Thomas in Rockland, Maine and launched in 1853. On her first voyage she was commanded by veteran packet ship captain Asa Eldridge of Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
She sailed on the Australian immigrant trade route for several years, notably colliding with the British merchant ship Elizabeth Walker, which sank, but Red Jacket was able to rescue the crew. In 1872, Red Jacket became a lumber carrier from Quebec to London and in 1883 was sold to Blandy Brothers, a Portuguese shipping company, who used her as a coaling hulk. She dragged her anchors in a heavy gale and was driven ashore in 1885.
20th Century
Model
4708. HALF HULL MODEL
19th Century
Built
200/400
4709. MOUNTED BUILDER’S HALF HULL MODEL OF THE STEAM/SAIL
Late 19th Century
Built
15.75”
53.5”. 1,200/1,600
4710. BRASS TWO-DRAW TELESCOPE 19th Century
Mahogany tube. Includes a period heavy cardboard case. Unmarked. Length closed 10.5”. 300/400
4711. POCKET SEXTANT
19th Century
Engraved “Adams London”. Case diameter 3.5”. 200/300
4712. BRASS SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE
England, 19th Century
Marked “J.P. Cutts. Sutton &. Son Opticians to Her Majesty, Sheffield & London”. Leather wrap. Length closed 20.5”. Length extended 34.5”. 300/500
4713. CASED POCKET SEXTANT
19th Century
Engraved on lid “Lee & Son Belfast”. Leather fitted case. Includes scope. Sextant diameter 2.75”. Case height 2”. Width 3.5”. Depth 4”. 300/400
Presentation inscription “Myles Standish from Wm F. Palmer” on bell, which is suspended from a U-shaped nickel mount above the nickel-plated case. Hinged bezel with metal clasp. Silvered dial with engraved wax-filled Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds dial. Two winding posts; runs for two days. Signed “Seth Thomas” on dial. Original decorative Seth Thomas paper advertising label affixed to the back. Height 10”. Depth 3.25”. Bezel diameter 6.25”. 1,000/1,500
19th Century
Marked on frame “Troughton & Simms London”. Dovetailed walnut case retains paper label “Geo. W. Leuffer”. Case height 7”. Width 12”. Depth 12”. 500/1,000
19th Century
Marked “Cary London”. Case with paper label for Cary Porter, Ltd. on interior and “AdmiraltyH.O. 158” painted on exterior. Case height 2.75”. Width 18.5”. Depth 7.5”. 400/600
19th Century With mounts. Scope length 22”. Case height 8”. Width 3.5”. Depth 19.25”. 300/500
Marked “Gilbert & Wright London”. Dovetailed walnut case. Case height 3”. Length 24”. Width 5.25”. 400/600
19th Century Marked “Troughton & Simms London”. Mahogany case. Case height 9”. Width 15.25”. Depth 12.25”. 500/700
19th Century
Marked “Troughton & Simms London”. Mahogany case. Case height 1.5”. Width 7.75”. Depth 7.25”. 250/350
First Half of the 19th Century Marked “Dolland London”. Nickel-plated metal tube with leather wrap. Brass tripod. Engraved “H. Norman R.N.” on sight. Walnut dovetailed and fitted case contains additional boxwood grips for maintaining the focal point. Retains a card from the Spy Glass of Chatham, Massachusetts, identifying 40x terrestrial and 100x celestial lenses. Case height 3.5”. Length 39”. Width 6.25”. 1,000/1,500
4726. STICK BAROMETER
London, 19th Century
Marked “J Hicks London”. Walnut case with brass gimbal. Height 37”. 1,000/1,500
4727. INCLINOMETER
19th Century
Hardwood frame with brass scale and a metal and brass acornform swing measure. Unmarked. Length 13.5”. Width 18”. 125/175
4728. CASED BRASS INSTRUMENT
19th Century
Marked “Troughton & Simms. London”. Mahogany case. Case height 1.25”. Width 9”. Depth 5.25”. 200/300
4729. CASED TRANSIT
19th Century
Engraved “J.H. Temple Maker Boston”. Case height 13.75”. Width 11.75”. Depth 8.5”. 300/500
4730. DOLLAND BRASS SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE
London, 19th Century
Marked “Dollond London 6478 Cecil Mocatta”. Leather wrap. Length closed 25.5”. Length extended 31”. 400/600
4731. CASED BRASS SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “Troughton & Simms London” and “Hydrographic Survey No 35”. Ebonized frame. Mahogany case. Case height 6.25”. Width 13.5”. Depth 10.25”. 500/700
4732. SPENCER, BROWNING & RUST BRASS AND MAHOGANY SINGLE-DRAW DAY/NIGHT TELESCOPE
London, 19th Century
Marked on tube. Length closed 20”. Length extended 36”. 400/600
4733. SEXTANT AND A WOODEN FRAME
Sextant with an ebonized wood frame and brass mounts. Marked “Troughton London”. Other frame also ebonized wood. Both approx. 8” x 12.5”. 200/300
4734. STICK BAROMETER
England, 19th Century
Walnut case with an acanthus-carved knop and a brass gimbal. Barometer scale marked “Cairns Waterloo Rd Liverpool”. Height 37.5”. 1,200/1,800
4735. CASED BRASS PANTOGRAPH
19th Century
Marked “Troughton London”. Walnut dovetailed case. Case height 3.5”. Length 27.5”. Width 5.25”. 400/600
4736. CASED BRASS SURVEYOR’S COMPASS
19th Century
Marked “B. Pike & Sons 166 Broadway”. Mahogany case. Case height 3.5”. Width 16.5”. Depth 8.25”. 400/600
4737. BRASS AND MAHOGANY TWO-DRAW TELESCOPE
19th Century
Marked “J. Hughes London”. Length closed 12.75”. Length extended 26”. 400/600
4738. SINGLE-DRAW TELESCOPE
London, 19th Century
Marked “Tho. Harris & Son Opticians to the Royal Family No. 52 Opposite the British Museum London Improved Ship Telescope”. Leather wrap. Length closed 27.5”. Length extended 34.75”. 400/600
4739. BRASS DOUBLE T-FRAME SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “Troughton London”. Length 12”. Width 13.25”. 300/500
4740. BRASS FOUR-DRAW TELESCOPE
19th Century
Sailor twinework wrap. Unmarked. Length closed 10.5”. Length extended 36”. 350/500
4741. CASED POCKET SEXTANT
19th Century
Marked “W&S Jones 50 Holborn London”. Cover engraved with angle scale. Leather case. Sextant height 1.75”. Diameter 3.75”. 250/350
4742. N. CURRIER LARGE FOLIO LITHOGRAPH “CLIPPER SHIP GREAT REPUBLIC”
19th Century
19” x 24.25” sight. Framed 26.5” x 32”. 1,000/1,500
4743. CURRIER & IVES LITHOGRAPH “THE BRIG VISION, CAPT. DONOVAN”
19th Century
9.5” x 13.5” sight. Framed 19” x 22.5”. 400/600
4744. RARE CHESAPEAKE STEAMSHIP COMPANY LITHOGRAPH
Early 20th Century
“Chesapeake Steamship Company Baltimore Old Point Comfort Norfolk Richmond”. By A. Hoen & Co., Baltimore. 25” x 34” sight. Framed 32” x 41.5”. 700/900
4745. PAIR OF GRIFFITHS & SON COPPER PORT AND STARBOARD LANTERNS
Late 19th/Early 20th Century With original labels. Heights 24”. 300/500
4746. HIGHLY DETAILED MODEL OF THE SIDEWHEELER CHATTERBOX
20th Century
White hull with black boot and naturally finished mahogany bottom. Displayed on a wooden cradle. Height 20.5”. Length 57.5”. Width 15”. 1,500/2,500
4747. COLLECTION OF THIRTY-SIX STEAMBOAT TICKETS
Late 19th/Early 20th Century Housed in shadow box frames. Framed 12” x 16”. 1,000/1,500
4748. Port view of the side-wheel steamship Twilight, circa 1890 Superbly detailed including “Twilight” on a name board at the front of the pilot house and on the paddle box, an eagle atop a flag pole, a Union Jack at the bow, an American flag at the stern, several passengers on the two decks, a walking beam, stacks and truss work, etc. A sandy shoreline and a two-masted schooner visible off Twilight’s bow. Nicely rendered bright sky and reflection of the ship in the water. Signed lower left “Fred Pansing”. Oil on canvas, 16.25” x 28.25”. Framed 21.25” x 33.5”. 15,000/20,000
Provenance: A major international corporation.
England, 19th Century
“Arden Craig Outbound”. Signed and dated lower right “John Coull April 1891”. Titled lower center. Pages from the September 18, 1891 edition of The World and April 1890 New York Herald newspapers within the original framing. Watercolor, 20.25” x 27.75” sight.
Framed 26.5” x 33”.
1,500/2,500
12.5”. Width 7.5”. Depth 6”. 500/800
in
7.5”.
4756. CASED SKELETONIZED FRAME SEXTANT
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Marked on scale “W. Callaghan 23 New Bond St. London”. Marked on side of scale “F. Willan”. Case with a brass inset plaque engraved “F. Willan”. Wedge-shaped wooden case. Case height 5”. Width 12.75”. Depth 10.75”. 300/500
4757. CASED BRASS T-FRAME SEXTANT
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Engraved “Cary, London 3358” and “Hydrographic Survey No. 8”. Retains certificate of examination card. Case height 5.25”. Width 12”. Depth 11.25”. 500/700
4758. CASED SKELETONIZED SEXTANT
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Marked “TH. Wegener Berlin No. 2099 Imported by C.L. Berger & Sons. Boston. Mafs.”. Case height 5.75”. Width 11.5”. Depth 10.75”. 300/500
4759. CASED BRASS SKELETONIZED SEXTANT
Second Half of the 19th Century
Marked “Stackpole & Brother New York”. Mahogany case. Case height 4.75”. Width 11.25”. Depth 11.25”. 300/500
4760. CASED BRASS T-FRAME SEXTANT
Late 19th/Early 20th Century
Marked “Gold & Platina Cary, London 2641”. Case with certificate of examination card. Case height 5”. Width 11.5”. Depth 10.5”. 400/600
4761. EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE PAIR OF "WAR AND PEACE" SPREAD-WING EAGLE PLAQUES BY IVAH W. SPINNEY
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Late 19th/Early 20th Century
A very rare example of a pair of period carved and painted American eagles. Well-articulated heads on elegantly curved necks, detailed with pronounced beaks, carved eyes and red painted tongues. The “War” eagle’s head faces right and the “Peace” eagle’s faces left, and both clutch a green painted olive branch and three gold leaf arrows in their talons. Carved and gilded wings taper in thickness toward the tips. Feathers executed in typical Spinney style. Both signed on back of head “Ivah W. Spinney”. Heights approx. 17”. Widths 58”. 25,000/35,000
Reference:
The Bold Art & Brash Life of John Haley Bellamy by James Craig (Portsmouth, N.H.: Portsmouth Historical Society, 2014)
p. 89, 123, 124-125. A pair of “War and Peace” eagles by John Hale Bellamy that are very similar in design and size are illustrated on p. 89. Two examples of signed Ivah Spinney eagles are illustrated on p. 124 and Spinney’s signature at the top edge of an eagle’s wing is illustrated on p. 125.
According to James Craig’s The Bold Art & Brash Life of John Haley Bellamy, Ivah W. Spinney was a carver in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and was working at the same period and across the river from where John Hale Bellamy worked in Kittery, Maine. Craig writes “the carving of the feathers in Spinney eagles are generally of a softer, shallower cut” and that while Bellamy typically did not sign his eagles, Spinney usually did, in a location where the signature would not interfere with the viewing of the carving. Bellamy and Spinney eagles graced the homes in the Portsmouth and Kittery areas, including the doorway of Kittery Point resident Windam Mayo, as illustrated in a circa 1900 photograph. Craig notes it is strikingly similar to another eagle illustrated in the book, and although their heads face in different directions and one is painted and the other gilded, it hints that Spinney possibly used similar production methods as Bellamy.
New York/New Jersey/Denmark, 1850-1921
Provenance:
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 1994, purchased by the Kelton Foundation. The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts. Eldred’s, April 29, 2021, Lot #283.
References:
Antonio Jacobsen - The Checklist: Paintings and Sketches by Antonio N.G. Jacobsen (1850-1921) by Harold S. Sniffen (N.Y.: 1984), p. 22-23, no. 31.
Signed, dated and inscribed lower right “A. Jacobsen 1884 705 Palisade Ave. West Hoboken, NJ”. Oil on canvas, 22” x 36”. Framed 30” x 43.5”. 8,000/12,000
Provenance:
Parke-Bernet Galleries: Nineteenth and Twentieth Century American Paintings and Sculpture, October 22, 1969. Berqueman Collection, Brussels.
Signed and dated lower right “Antonio Jacobsen 1878”. Inscribed with map coordinates “257.8 v. 2.3.50” below signature. Oil on canvas, 22” x 36”. Framed 26” x 40”. 7,000/10,000
New York/New Jersey/Denmark, 1850-1921
6,000/8,000
References:
Antonio Jacobsen – The Checklist by Harold S. Sniffen (N.Y.: Smith Galleries, Ltd. in association with the Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, Virginia, 1984), Appendix II p. 348-349 shows a graph of Jacobsen’s works by year, with five works for 1873-1874, 12 for 1895 and 125 for 1916, his most prolific year as an artist.
Flying The Colors: The Unseen Treasures of NineteenthCentury American Marine Art by Janice Hyland and Alan Granby (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport Museum, 2009), p. 238239 show portraits of American yachts, both signed and dated 1875 and measuring 10” x 14”. They have similar traits, a similar size and the same early date as this work.
Antonio Jacobsen paintings dated as early as 1875 are scarce and his yachting scenes are rare and desirable, so it is exceptionally uncommon for a work like this to come to market. Although more primitive in style than Jacobsen’s later works, the yachts here are facing in different directions, making for an attractive composition. The red in the sky is typical for his paintings from the late 1870s through the early 1890s.
Circa 1899
Shamrock, representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, was Sir Thomas Lipton’s challenger for the 1899 America’s Cup, which lost in three races to Columbia of the New York Yacht Club. Canvas-covered buoy with “Shamrock” and “R.U.Y.C.” in gold leaf lettering outlined in green. Original rope hand grips threaded through canvas straps around the perimeter. Diameter 30.75”. 3,000/5,000
Provenance:
Collection of the Museum of Yachting, Newport, Rhode Island.
Shamrock was the first of five “Shamrocks” built for Sir Thomas Lipton, who challenged for the America’s Cup five times between 1899 and 1930 under the sponsorship of the Irish R.U.Y.C.
The 1899 race, the tenth challenge for the Cup, was held in New York Harbor. Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the event on radio, making it perhaps the first sports broadcast.
This model is believed to have been made by Gustav Graham, one of the principal model builders for New York Yacht Club in the Late 19th Century. The companion model is in the Club collection.
Columbia was designed and built in 1898-99 by Nathaniel Herreshoff and the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company for J. Pierpont Morgan and Edwin Dennison Morgan of the New York Yacht Club, and she was launched June 10, 1899. She was a fin keel sloop, with a nickel steel frame and Tobin bronze hull.
Skippered by Charlie Barr, she easily won the elimination trials against the rebuilt yacht Defender and won all three races against the British challenger, Shamrock, in the 1899 America’s Cup. Columbia was selected in 1901 to defend the Cup, again under the command of Charlie Barr, and she easily won all three races against Shamrock II. In 1903 she was refitted with the hope of being selected for a third time, but she was badly beaten in the selection trials by Reliance. She was the first vessel to win the trophy twice in a row, a record not equaled until Intrepid ‘s back-to-back wins in 1967 and 1970.
Columbia was broken up in 1915 at City Island and sold to Henry A. Hitner and Sons of Philadelphia for scrap. Today, the mast sits in the Forest Hills Gardens neighborhood of New York City in a park known as “Flagpole Green”.
Circa 1899
Attributed to Gustav Graham (Sweden/America, 19th/20th Century). Hull built up from the solid, which has been hollowed. Topsides painted white and the bottom bronze. Mahogany veneer deck with a brass plaque engraved “Columbia America Cup 1899”. Displayed on a simple mahogany stand, supported at the keel with a post. Height on stand 10”. Length 49.5”. Width 9”. 8,000/12,000
Provenance:
Thomas Darling, and thence by descent. Christie’s East, New York, February 1998, purchased by Richard Kelton. The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts. The current consignor.
1,000/2,000
Includes 16 silver bromide photographs, some by the Associated Press but most by Morris Rosenfeld, bearing his stamp on the reverse and his handwritten negative numbers. The third American J-class yacht, Yankee was designed by Frank Paine and participated in the 1934 America’s Cup trials. Photographs depict assorted views of the Yankee as well as her afterguard, including owner Gerard Lambert. Housed in a red album within a custom navy blue slipcase. Slipcase 15.5” x 13.5”. 3,000/5,000
Paper cutouts of America’s Cup yachts and assorted other vessels that can be moved around a cardboard ocean. Vessels fully intact, as issued, and includes instructions for use on a card also printed with Barbour’s thread advertisements. Housed in two foam core mats. Images from 7.5” x 7” to 11” x 6.5” sight. Matted 20” x
Model
300/500
800/1,200
Provenance: Descended in a New York/Connecticut family.
20th
This is a fine example of a J.E. Buttersworth yachting scene and includes many of the elements that define the artist’s work and demonstrate his ability to create a strong sense of atmosphere and action. The race takes place at sunset, and the rolling whitecap seas and the lack of topsails on the four yachts indicate a brisk breeze. The sky, dotted with wispy clouds illuminated by the last rays of sunlight, has a wonderful luminescent quality and a subtle gradation of color. The black-hulled schooner in the foreground has a golden eagle figurehead, the Sandy Hook Lightship is flying an American flag off her stern, and all four yachts are flying colorful private signal flags from the peaks of their rear masts. As common in Buttersworth’s work, the vessels are reflected in the water, most noticeable here in the foreground yacht, the left-most yacht and the lightship.
4782. JAMES EDWARD BUTTERSWORTH New Jersey/New York/United Kingdom, 1817-1894
“Yachts Rounding Sandy Hook Lightship New York Bay”, circa 1875. Signed lower right “J E Buttersworth”. Original paper label “Prepared Mill - Board Winsor & Newton ... London” on back of board; this label appears on many Buttersworth paintings on board. Kennedy Galleries label and title plaque also affixed verso. Oil on board, 11.5” x 15.75”. Framed 16” x 20”.
20,000/30,000
Provenance:
Kennedy Galleries, New York. The gallery, established in 1874, was active in selling J.E. Buttersworth artwork until 2005.
References:
A similar Buttersworth painting, “Yacht America off Castle William”, is illustrated in Flying The Colors: The Unseen Treasures of Nineteenth-Century American Marine Art by Janice Hyland and Alan Granby (Mystic, Ct.: Mystic Seaport Museum, 2009), p. 205. Both this painting and the illustrated example are on board, have the same dimensions, and have a similar treatment to the sky and reflections in the water. It is surmised both paintings were done in the same time period.
New
Provenance: Phil
Circa 1873/1874
One of the most interesting trophies and Tiffany & Co. objects we have examined. Presented to the Atlantic Yacht Club by the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club for the Livingston Memorial Prize. Exotic burlwood veneer case with rounded lid, molded base, gilt-bronze hinges and fancy gilt-bronze mounts, side handles and pulls. Gilt-bronze ribbon, shield and garland plaque mounted to top engraved “From” above the SYC (Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club) monogram. Lid lifts and front doors swing open to reveal a purple velvet-lined interior fitted with an engraved gilt-bronze presentation tray and three cut glass decanters with faceted stoppers. Six gilt-bronze galleried shelves on the interior of the doors hold the original glasses (one glass missing). Humidor drawer at base with a giltbronze pull in the shape of a whale’s tail. Silver-lined humidor with three compartments, the central narrow compartment for water. Oval presentation tray engraved on both sides, the front with “Presented to the Atlantic Yacht Club by the Seawanhaka Yacht Club Won by Sloop Yacht Vixen, Capt. Livingston Oyster Bay, July 4th 1873.” and the back with “Record of Winners of the Livingston Memorial Prize Sloop Yachts” and a list of 14 winning boats and their captains for years 1875 through 1888, all famous yachts of their day. Below the list is the inscription “By resolution of Board of Trustees, A.Y.C., January 20, 1899, awarded to ExCommodore H.H. Hogins in perpetuity, he being the last winner.”. Small gilt-bronze label stamped “Tiffany and Co Union Square” on interior. Height 12.75”. Width 12.75”. Depth 9.25”. 7,000/10,000
Exhibited: Flagler Museum, Palm Beach: “Capturing the Cup: The Gilded Age”, Winter 2013.
The Yachts and Yachtsmen of America edited by Henry A. Mott (International Yacht Publishing Company, 1894), p.370, “The Season of 1873” describes “The year opened with the first anniversary dinner of the club given on January 15 at Delmonico’s in New York City. ... This year the club again accepted an invitation to spend the 4th of July with the Seawanhaka Yacht Club in Oyster Bay Harbor, and the race was sailed by the yachts in both fleets for a prize offered by the entertaining club to the visitors. In this race Vixen, Ludlow Livingston owner, was the winner. Soon after this race Mr. Ludlow Livingston died, and his heirs receiving the prize, gave it to the Atlantic Yacht Club to be known as the Livingston Memorial and to be sailed for at each Annual Regatta as a yearly prize. It was to be awarded to the first yacht belonging to the class in which Vixen would have sailed had she been present, irrespective of any time allowance. The club accepted the gift and it has been sailed-for and won at each Annual Regatta since that time”.
4791. MOUNTED BUILDER’S HALF HULL MODEL OF A HERRESHOFF-DESIGN SLOOP
First Half of the 20th Century Model with white hull, green bottom and yellow boot, a bowsprit and an applied trailboard. Backboard 10.75” x 43.25”.
4792. MOUNTED BUILDER’S HALF HULL MODEL OF A SLOOP
First Quarter of the 20th Century Model with black hull and copper-colored bottom, and an inlaid brass strip under the gunwale. Backboard 12.25” x 45.25”. 1,400/1,800
4793. SHADOW BOX MODEL OF A SAILBOAT
Early 20th Century Height 9”. Width 10”. Depth 2”.
4794. SHADOW BOX MODEL OF A SAILBOAT
Early 20th Century Height 9.25”. Width 12.25”. Depth 2.5”.
4795. DOLPHIN-FORM MOLDED BRASS TILLER YOKE
Late 19th Century Height 7”. Width 20”. 300/500
4796. TWO SHADOW BOX MODELS OF THE CORISANDE
Early 20th Century
Together with an advertisement. The motor yacht Corisande, which set a cruising record, was owned by Marshall Field of the New York Yacht Club, and both models show the Club’s burgee. Heights 9” and 14”. Widths 11” and 19”. 500/1,000
4797. MOUNTED HALF HULL MODEL OF A MOTOR YACHT
First Quarter of the 20th Century Model with a green and red boot, and an applied brass propeller and rudder. Mahogany backboard. Backboard 10.5” x 33.25”. 400/600
4798. RACING SHELL MODEL
20th Century
Wood and marked .900 silver. Marked “Sacchetti”. Complete with sweeps. Length 13.5”. 350/500
Early 20th Century
In mahogany, the hull painted yellow. Brass “Aletha” name plate at the bow and silver “Awarded Silver Medal Exhibition London 1924” plaque at the stern. Model length 62”. Case height 16.5”. Length 65.5”.
Second Quarter of the 20th Century
White hull with aqua bottom, gunwale and cockpit. Steam engine. Displayed on a cradle. Height 11”. Length 37”. Width 9”.
Red hull. Lead-weighted keel. Complete with mast, sails and rigging. Height 82.5”. Length 71.25”. 1,000/2,000
with red bottom. Nicely detailed deck. Beautifully toned cotton sails. Case height 23”. Length 27.5”. Width 11.75”. 1,000/2,000
Black
Massachusetts/Rhode Island, 1866/67-1951
“Luffing Up”, depicting vessels at sea. Unsigned. Quester Gallery label verso.
Charcoal on paper, 12.5” x 20”.
Framed 21.5” x 28”. 500/800
Massachusetts, 1941“Gloucester, Mass, The Coronet”. Signed lower left “Bruce Turner”. Titled verso. Oil on canvas, 23” x 33”.
Framed 31” x 41”. 1,000/2,000
New York/Maryland, 1830-1895
An American yacht under full sail and a distant tugboat. Signed and dated lower left “Granville Perkins 1893”. Watercolor on paper, 19” x 28” sight. Framed 28” x 36”. 500/1,000
Early 20th Century
Pre-dates the U.S.L.H.S. merger with the Coast Guard in 1939. Triangular flag with a blue lighthouse on a white field with red border. Hoist with round U.S.L.H.S. and “4” stamps. Also stamped for maker “Annin & Co. N.Y.”. 28” x 50”. 300/500
OF DAILY EXPENDITURES
Late 19th Century
From the Fuller’s Rock light station on the Providence River, John J. Mullen, keeper. Entries dated from January 1888 to December 1891. Marbled boards with leather spine. 16.5” x 14”. 400/600
First
20th Century
300/500
Massachusetts, 1848-1921
Evacuating from a shipwreck. Signed lower right “LD Eldred”. Oil on heavy paper panel, 6” x 10”. Framed 8.5” x 12.5”. 500/1,000
Massachusetts, 1806-1889
“Eastern Point Lighthouse, Near Gloucester Harbor”. Inscribed, signed and dated verso “Eastern Point Lighthouse, Near Gloucester Harbor Norman’s Woe in the Distance by C. Drew 1880”. Oil on canvas, 18” x 30”. Framed 25” x 37”. 800/1,200
Massachusetts, 1806-1889
Steamship Nantasket in the tornado, June 16, 1879. Signed lower right "C. Drew". Inscribed verso. Oil on canvas, 14" x 22". Framed 19" x 28". 1,500/2,500
4817
4817. MOUNTED BUILDER’S HALF HULL MODEL OF THE JOHN ENA
1929
Model with carved bone bowsprit and portholes. Vessel identified on brass plaque mounted to the mahogany backboard. Backboard 15.5” x 84”. 800/1,200
4818. CASED HAMILTON CHRONOMETER WATCH
Early 20th Century
Mahogany exterior case with metal instruction plaque on lid. Interior metal case engraved on back. Chronometer with Arabic numeral dial and second sweep. Watch case diameter 2.75”. Mahogany case height 2”. Width 6”. Depth 5”. 200/300
4819. DESKTOP MODEL OF A STOCKLESS ANCHOR
20th Century
Marked on sides “Port Engineering Works” and “M/A A. Yule & Co Ltd.”. Length 5.5”. 500/1,000
4820. BROWN, LENOX & CO. MODEL OF AN ANCHOR Marked “Lenox Royal Navy Anchor, 9, Martins Lane, London E.C., Patentees & Sole Makers”. Length 5”. 500/1,000
4821. MODEL OF A FELLOWS PATENT STOCKLESS ANCHOR
20th Century Possibly a salesman’s sample. Length 9”. 500/1,000
4822. CASED MODEL OF THE OCEAN-GOING TUG
JOHN J. NUGENT OF BOSTON
20th Century
Painted in traditional black, red and white. Case height 11.25”. Length 20.5”. Width 7.25”. 1,000/1,500
4823. WILLIAM HITCHCOCK CASED MODEL OF THE LIBERTY
20th Century
Brass plaque marked “The American Marine Model Gallery Salem Mass” mounted on the base of the glass and wood case. Case height 16.5”. Length 13”. Width 7.25”. 500/1,000
Massachusetts, 1919-2014
“Clipper Ship Westward Ho”. Signed lower left “Charles F. Kenney”. Titled verso. Oil on canvas, 24” x 36”. Framed 30” x 42”. 1,000/2,000
Massachusetts, 1919-2014
“Clipper Ship Belle of the West”. Signed lower left “Charles F. Kenney”. Titled verso. Oil on canvas, 24” x 30”. Framed 30” x 36”. 1,000/2,000
The Belle of the West was one of finest clippers built by David & Asa Shiverick of Shiverick Shipyards in Dennis, Massachusetts. An article in the May 14, 1853 issue of the Boston Daily Atlas states it was “decidedly one of the most beautiful clippers in port -- a perfect seawitch -- which would win the heart of a sailor at a glance”. The stately Greek Revival home at the front of the Eldred’s property at its Cape Cod headquarters was built by Belle of the West's captain, William F. Howes.
4828. CASED PRESENTATION HALF HULL MODEL OF THE S.S. SCOTT
Early 20th Century
Nicely detailed. Presentation plaque marked “S.S. Scott Built By the Garson Graving Dock & Shipbuilding Company Ltd.
Gasrston Liverpool 1904”. Case height 18”. Width 62.5”. Depth 8.5”.
4829. CASED PRESENTATION HALF HULL MODEL OF THE STEAMSHIP TAMAQUA
Early 20th Century
Nicely detailed. Oak case with mirrored back. Presentation plaque marked “S.S.Tamaqua Built by Messrs Napier & Miller. Limited. Shipbuilders & Engineers Old Kilpatrick Glasgow”. Case height 19.5”. Width 65”. Depth 8.5”. 2,500/3,500
4830. MODEL OF A WELIN QUADRANT DAVIT
Early 20th Century
Made by the American Balsa Company, New York. Marked on base. Height 9”. Width 13”. 800/1,200
4831. UNUSUAL MODEL OF A SAILING SHIP’S WHEEL MECHANISM
Very well made and possibly a salesman’s sample or demonstration model. Ropes wind around the winch barrel to pass belowdecks through a series of blocks and tackles to the tiller, which turns the rudder. Height 14”. Length 12.5”. 800/1,200
4832. PATENT MODEL #148255 OF A MARINE PROPELLER
Dated 1874
Signed “Wm. D. Smith Mar. 3d, 1874”. Retains original tag. Height 7”. 800/1,200
4833. SAMPLE DISPLAY CASE FROM THE MODEL SHIPWAYS COMPANY, FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY
Case filled with dozens of model ship parts, their descriptions and prices. 500/1,000
Provenance: Quester Gallery, Stonington, Connecticut. Private Collection, Maryland.
Four
Early 20th Century
Accompanied
Provenance: Richard
Mounted together on a single base. Clock with ship’s bell movement. Presentation plaque on base marked “Vice Admiral H.V. Butler U.S.N. On Going Ashore After 50 Years Service Administrative Office Staff
Navy Department”. Height 8.5”. Width 14”. Depth 3”. 500/1,000
“The DEW Line”. Signed and dated lower right “Peterson 88”. Gouache on paper, 13” x 20” sight. Framed 21.5” x 28.5”. 1,500/2,000
The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the northern Arctic region of Canada, Alaska’s north coast and Aleutian Islands, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland.
4844. CARVED WOODEN SPREAD-WING EAGLE PLAQUE
20th Century
Gilt finish. Eagle clutching arrows in its talons. Height 24.5”. Width 69”. 2,000/3,000
4845. CARL EVERS
California/Germany, 1907-2000
“Ships in Swedish Waters During W.W. II, 1944”. Signed and dated lower left “C. Evers '45”. Oil on canvas, 29” x 23.75”. Framed 34” x 29”.
500/1,000
4846. CHROME SUBMARINES INSIGNIA AUTOMOBILE MASCOT
20th Century
Formed as the bow and conning tower of a surfaced submarine flanked by heraldic dolphins. Design varies slightly from the official Submarines Warfare insignia, commonly known as the submariner’s “dolphins”. Screw-mounted on a circular cap. Total height 3.75”. 400/600
4847. CASED MODEL OF THE U.S. CRUISER
SAN FRANCISCO
20th Century
Beautifully detailed. Retains documentation regarding the history of the San Francisco. Case height 14.5”. Length 43.5”. Width 10”. 500/1,000
4848. CASED MODEL OF THE WORLD WAR II-ERA
TUG U.S.S. NAVAJO
20th Century
Built by Keith T. Bender. Nicely made and superbly detailed. Case height 16”. Length 35”. Width 10”. 500/1,000
4849. SEPIA-TONE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE U.S.S. BALTIMORE WAR CRUISER
20th Century
Labeled lower left “E.H. Hart 23rd Street, New York”. 16” x 19” sight. Framed 25.5” x 27”. 400/600
Illinois/Massachusetts, 1924-1989
Provenance: Mystic Maritime Gallery, Mystic, Connecticut.
United Kingdom, 1924-
Signed and dated lower left “Roy Cross 1984”.
Titled verso. Gouache, 8.5” x 13.75”. Framed 18”
Signed and dated lower right “Roy Cross 1985”.
Titled verso. Gouache on paper, 9” x 13.5” sight. Framed 19.5” x 24”. 2,000/3,000
Massachusetts, 1952-
The Newport was part of the Fall River Line, a combination steamboat and railroad system between New York City and Boston that ran from 1847 to 1937. For many years it was the preferred route of travel between the two cities as the line's steamboats were some of the most advanced and luxurious of their day, described as "floating palaces". The line was the subject of a popular 1913 song "On the Old Fall River Line".
The Fall River Line originated with Colonel Richard Borden, a Fall River businessman who had interests in the iron and textile industries and operated steamboats between Fall River, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island as early as 1827. He began regular steamboat service between New York and Fall River in 1847, added substantially to the fleet, and sold the line in 1863 to the Boston, Newport and New York Steamboat Company. Successive owners would continue to expand the route and add additional vessels, including the Newport in 1863.
Several U.S. presidents and the high society traveled aboard the Fall River Line, including Grant, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Vanderbilt, Astor and Rockefeller, but the middle class was also able to experience the gilded age of travel aboard the steamboats.
The affordability of the railroad, the onset of the mainstream automobiles and the creation of the Cape Cod Canal factored into the demise of the Fall River Line in 1937.
Signed lower right “Willam R. Davis A.S.M.A”.
Titled on label verso. Oil on canvas, 12” x 18”.
18” x 24”. 8,000/12,000
Signed lower right “William R. Davis”. Titled verso. Oil on canvas, 8” x 16”. Framed 14” x 22”. 3,500/5,000
Signed lower left “William R. Davis”.
Titled verso. Oil on board, 12” x 16”. Framed 17” x 21”. 3,000/5,000
United
New York/Massachusetts, 1955-
The Clara Wheeler with a pilot boat in the distance. Signed lower right “Jerome Howes”. Oil on masonite, 20” x 30”.
4861. CASED TELESCOPE
Contemporary
Plum-colored enamel tube. Includes tripod. Leather case. Case height 9.25”. Width 15”. Depth 8.5”. 600/900
4862. GORDON HOPE GRANT
New York/California/United Kingdom, 1875-1962
"The King's Ship". Signed lower left "Gordon Grant". Titled verso. Oil on canvas, 50" x 60". Framed 57.5" x 67.5". 5,000/7,000
A. LEMUEL D. ELDRED
Massachusetts, 1848-1921
In our opinion, this is a work by the artist.
B. ATTRIBUTED TO LEMUEL D. ELDRED
Massachusetts, 1848-1921
In our opinion, probably a work by the artist based on the style of the piece, however, the work lacks a signature, marking or adequate provenance to fully ascribe it.
C. MANNER OF LEMUEL D. ELDRED
Massachusetts, 1848-1921
In our opinion, a work made in the style of the artist listed, most likely by a follower or student.
D. SCHOOL OF LEMUEL D. ELDRED
Late 19th Century
In our opinion, a work executed at the time and in the style of the artist listed.
E. AFTER LEMUEL D. ELDRED
20th Century
In our opinion, a work made in the style of the artist listed, but not by the artist. Often used to describe a direct reproduction of an original work of art.
If a date and location are included in a heading, it is our opinion the piece is essentially of the period and was made in the area indicated. The inclusion of the world “style” in the heading indicates the piece was made at a later date as an intentional reproduction of the earlier style.
Dimensions
Unless otherwise specified, dimensions are formatted Height x Width. Dimensions are approximate as they are often rounded to the nearest quarter inch. Furniture and other objects are measured to the tallest and widest points. Paintings are measured by the dimensions of the stretcher or supports. A “sight” measurement is the visible size of an artwork if the piece is obscured by its frame or matting.
It is the bidder’s responsibility to obtain a condition report. Condition reports can be viewed at www.eldreds.com or by contacting us. Condition reports will be provided to the best of our ability, and the reports are statements of opinion only. Prospective buyers should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects or restoration. If provided, a Condition Report may only detail flaws or restorations, and may not take into account wear, fading or other issues consistent with an object’s age. All property is sold subject to Item 1 of our Conditions of Sale, which provides all property is sold as is. The jewelry has been analyzed and evaluated in accordance with standards using “state of the art” methods and precision equipment. Unless otherwise stated, all colored stones listed have probably been subjected to various treatments to improve their appearance. Treatments are considered usual and customary practices when properly disclosed and when done without intent to defraud.
1. Carefully read the Conditions of Sale.
2. Pre-sale estimates are provided by the auctioneers for the convenience of our customers. They are not meant to be taken as a guide to the value of an item, but as a guide to its expected selling price. Estimates are prepared well in advance of a sale and are subject to revision.
3. Carefully examine any item that you might consider bidding on for any variation from the catalog description. If you are unfamiliar with auction procedure or terminology, or if you would like clarification of a catalog description, please ask for assistance from our staff.
4. If you wish to leave an Absentee Bid or request a Telephone Bid, please review the Absentee/Telephone Bid Procedure and complete the Bid Form.
5. Online bidding is available at www.eldreds.com, with a 26% buyer’s premium. Prospective bidders must register and be approved prior to placing bids or bidding live online.
6. Eldred’s reserves the right to refuse to issue, or to revoke, bidding credentials, or to reject any bid, if deemed necessary and proper in its sole discretion, for the conduct of the auction process, and to insure fairness to consignors and other bidders.
A buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price of all purchases. The buyer’s premium is 26 percent of the final bid price up to and including $500,000, and 10 percent of the final bid price over $500,000.
We accept checks, cash, money orders, wire transfers and major credit cards for payment.
Bidders holding a Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide the certificate or copy thereof when registering to bid or otherwise will be required to pay 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases. Items picked up in or shipped to Connecticut are subject to 6.35% Connecticut sales tax. Residents of other states may be subject to state and local sales taxes.
We require prompt payment and removal of your purchases as stated in Paragraph 12 of the Conditions of Sale. If you plan to pick up your purchases, please call ahead and we’ll make every effort to have your items ready. We provide limited shipping services directly from our gallery; our staff can determine if your items qualify for in-house shipping. Please note, shipments from our gallery may take 4-6 weeks from receipt of payment, and you will be charged for carrier fees, packing and handling, and required insurance. If we are unable to ship your items we will provide you a list of alternative shipping agents.
$0-$99: $10 I $100-$499: $25 I $500-$999: $50
$1,000-$2,999: $100 I $3,000-$4,999: $250
$5,000-$9,999: $500 I $10,000-$29,999: $1,000
$30,000-$49,999: $2,500 I $50,000-$99,999: $5,000
$100,000 and above: $10,0000 I Above $300,000: auctioneer’s discretion
1. CORRECTNESS OF DESCRIPTION: Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Eldred’s) has exercised reasonable care to catalog and describe correctly the property to be sold, but neither Eldred’s nor its consignors warrant the correctness of description, attribution, authenticity, or condition of said property. No statements shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability with respect thereto, but are to be construed as opinions only. Bidders are encouraged to personally examine all property to be sold prior to the beginning of the auction.
2. Unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale, all bids are per lot as numbered.
3. Eldred’s reserves the right to withdraw any property before the sale.
4. DETERMINATION OF HIGHEST BIDDER: The highest bidder accepted by the auctioneer shall be the buyer. In the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer may determine who is the successful bidder or the auctioneer may re-offer the article in dispute and his decision shall be final.
5. REJECTION OF BIDS: The auctioneer reserves the right to reject any nominal raise or any bid or raise which, in his opinion, is not commensurate with the value of the article being offered. At his discretion, he may also reject any nominal raise or any bid that he may determine as having a detrimental effect on the item in question or the sale as a whole. Eldred’s may refuse to issue bidding privileges to any person not in good credit standing with Eldred’s, or to any person who is deemed by Eldred’s in its sole discretion, to be disruptive of or harmful to established auction practices, either before or after the acceptance of bids or the fall of the hammer.
6. TITLE: Except as herein otherwise provided, title will pass to the highest bidder as determined by the auctioneer, and the property is thereafter at the purchaser’s sole risk and responsibility.
7. PAYMENT: On title passing to the highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer, and subject to all the conditions set forth herein, such bidder will thereupon pay the full purchase price. Payment in full is due at the time of sale. Any bills not paid in full within 25 days of the date of the sale will accrue interest at a rate of 1.5% per month. In addition, the purchaser may be subject to one or more of the following actions:
a) Any and all legal remedies available to Eldred’s and its consignors by law including without limitation the right to hold the purchaser liable for the total purchase price;
b) Immediate cancellation of the sale, with Eldred’s retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the purchaser; c) Resale of the property at public auction, wherein the original purchaser shall be liable for any deficiency, costs, and Eldred’s commission on both sales. At Eldred’s option, payment will not be deemed to have been made in full until Eldred’s has collected funds represented by checks, or in the case of bank or cashier’s checks, their authenticity has been confirmed.
A buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price.
8. ORDER BIDS: Subject to these Conditions of Sale and to such terms and conditions as it may prescribe, but at no charge to the customer, Eldred’s will undertake to execute all order bids submitted to it by a customer who has established credit with said company. Requests for such bidding must be given in writing with such clearness as to leave no room for misunderstanding as to the amount to be bid and must state the catalog number and the name or title of the article to be bid on. Telephone bids must be confirmed in writing or by cable. All bids are kept in strict confidence. In the event of identical bids, the earliest received by Eldred’s will take precedence. Eldred’s shall not be held responsible for errors or failure to execute bids. A deposit of 10% of the total amount bid is required. TELEPHONE BIDS: While the sale is in progress, bidding by telephone may be allowed by the auctioneer at his discretion. A deposit of 10% of the anticipated top bid is required. Eldred’s shall not be held responsible for any failure to properly execute such a bid whether it be due to equipment failure, loss
of connection, or failure to hear or understand the bidder’s directions. Any advice or opinions provided by Eldred’s or its employees are given strictly as a courtesy and are not a warrant of condition, attribution, authenticity, or description of said property. All bidding by telephone is solely at the risk of the bidder. ONLINE BIDS: Eldred’s shall not be held responsible for any failure to properly execute bids placed online. All online bidding is solely at the risk of the bidder.
9. CONDITION: If for any cause whatsoever any article sold cannot be delivered, or cannot be delivered in as good condition as the same may have been at the time of sale, due to a failure or damage on the company’s part, the sale will be cancelled, and any amount that may have been paid on account of the sale will be returned to the purchaser. EXCEPTION: Eldred’s will not be held responsible for damage to picture frames or lampshades.
10. SALES TAX: All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts sales tax (currently 6.25%) unless the purchaser: A) possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption or resale number and registers that number with the company, B) is an out-of-state vendor who meets all the requirements of Massachusetts Department of Revenue GLC 64H 1(5) and Directive 89-10 and registers with the company prior to each purchase, or C) has purchases shipped out of state (with the exception of Connecticut and New York) directly from Eldred’s by a bona fide shipping agent. Connecticut residents picking items up in our Mystic branch or having purchases shipped to their Connecticut address are responsible for CT state sales tax (currently 6.35%). New York residents having purchases shipped to their New York address are responsible for NY state sales tax (currently 4.0%). Due to the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, residents of other states may be required to pay their state sales tax on purchases as we meet each state’s nexus requirements. Dealers, museums, etc. can apply for a Massachusetts number prior to the auction by contacting the Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02204.
11. RESERVES: Unless advertised as an “Unreserved Auction”, all sales may have items subject to reserve (an agreed upon price between the auctioneer and the consignor, below which the article will not be sold).
12. COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred’s facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $5/per item/perday storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer’s account minus auction and storage fees.
13. PACKING: Purchasers are advised that packing and/or handling by Eldred’s employees is undertaken solely as a courtesy for the convenience of customers. In the case of fragile articles, it will be undertaken at the sole discretion of the company. Handling and packing by Eldred’s is at the risk of the purchaser. SHIPPING: When requested, Eldred’s may arrange shipment of paid purchases. Eldred’s will not be responsible for damage or loss once the item has been received by the shipper. In the case of fragile articles, shipping will be undertaken at the sole discretion of the shipper. Please refer to our Advice to Bidders for details.
14. These Conditions of Sale cannot be altered except in writing by Eldred’s or by public announcement by the auctioneer at the time of the sale.
15. Bidding on any article(s) indicates acceptance of the terms set forth above.
16. These Conditions of Sale and any suits arising thereunder shall be construed and governed by the laws of Massachusetts.
Thank you for your interest in bidding in our auction. If you have not been a successful bidder with Eldred’s in the past, please help us establish your bidding credentials by completing this form and selecting one of the options that follow.
CLIENT INFORMATION
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FINANCIAL REFERENCES
Please select one of the following options:
1. DEPOSIT
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MA Resale #:
All bidders holding a valid Massachusetts or out-of-state resale number must provide their certificate or a copy thereof when registering. Failure to do so will subject the bidder to paying 6.25% Massachusetts sales tax on purchases.
Submit a deposit representing 10% of the total order, either by mailing a check to the address below or providing a credit card number. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover with domestic billing addresses in amounts up to $5,000.00.
2. LETTER OF CREDIT FROM YOUR BANK
Please have your bank fax us at 508-385-7201. Letter must be on bank letterhead.
3. AUCTION HOUSE REFERENCE
Complete the information requested below.
Advance notice is required for this option as it is often difficult to reach the appropriate contact. You may have to authorize release of information. Please be aware Christie’s and Sotheby’s will not divulge any credit information.
Auction House: Contact: Auction House Phone: Account #:
Auction House: Contact: Auction House Phone: Account #: Auction House: Contact: Auction House Phone: Account #:
SIGNATURE (required): Date:
Bids will not be accepted without your signature on this form. By signing you agree to place the above bids in the auction listed, subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale put forth by The Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc.
1. Clearly print the lot number, the item description and the highest amount you are willing to pay. Please follow our standard bidding increments.
2. Carefully review your bid form for accuracy of lot numbers, phone numbers, shipping information, etc. Although we attempt to confirm descriptions against lot number, bids are posted by lot number.
3. Please submit your bids in a timely manner, to avoid the chance of posting error. We request all bids be received by 3 p.m. the day before the auction. In the event of identical Absentee bids, the earliest received takes precedence.
4. A 10% deposit is required. If you are successful, the amount of your deposit will be applied toward your invoice. If you are not successful, the full amount will be returned promptly to you.
5. A buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price of each lot, to be paid as part of the purchase price. The buyer’s premium is 26% of the final bid price up to and including $500,000, and 10% of the final bid price over $500,000.
6. At the conclusion of the sale you will be notified if you were the successful bidder. All invoices must be paid in full within ten (10) days of the close of the auction. We accept checks, cash, money orders, wire transfers and major credit cards for payment. Credit cards can only be used for up to $5,000 of the invoice total and the card must have a U.S. billing address. We reserve the right to hold goods until payment has cleared.
7. All purchases are subject to state and local sales tax unless you possess a Massachusetts or out-of-state sales tax exemption or resale number and register that number with us.
The Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc. offers this service as a convenience to its clients and will not be held responsible for errors or failure to execute bids.
Are you a new bidder with Eldred’s? No:
Yes:
If so, please also complete our Buyer Pre-Registration form.
NAME:
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SALE TITLE:
SALE DATE:
Bid or “phone” for Telephone Bid
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ALTERNATE PHONE:
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By signing you agree to place the above bids in the auction listed, subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale put forth by The Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc. All bids are kept in strict confidence.
Date:
SHIPPING
Do you have a tax resale #?
No: Yes:
Will pick up: Ship to address above:
Or ship to:
All property must be removed from our facility within 28 days of the close of the auction or be subject to a $5 per item/per day storage fee.
26% buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price. See Item 5 above.
Total 10% Deposit
Have you examined the items listed above?
No: Yes:
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