RARE AND IMPORTANT NUMBERED PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW SPERM WHALE’S TEETH DATED 1833 AND SIGNED JOSIAH SHEFIELD JR.

RARE AND IMPORTANT NUMBERED PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW SPERM WHALE’S TEETH DATED 1833 AND SIGNED JOSIAH SHEFIELD JR. Numbered teeth are very rare with the added rarity of a pair makes these teeth extremely desirable to even the most discriminating collector. 1) 6-1/4” tooth being decorated top to bottom as follows: Front side: No. 8 N. West Coast July 29 18 33 Lat. 37 10 N. Lon. 125 00 W Took 6 Whales. 2-1/4” x 3” engraved ship having three-masts with most sails up having what may be dark figures aboard. Underneath ship is “Sept 20 1833 Anchored In St Barbara Sept 29 Sail’d For Todos Santos Bay. Reverse side: 1-1/4” x 3/4” oval with Josiah Shefield Jr. CONDITION: 1/2” chip to left bottom corner of front side, yellow patina, blue ink spot on top of ship mast. 2) 6-1/4” tooth being decorated top to bottom as follows: Front side: No 9 Oct. 3 1833 Anchor’d in Todos Santos Sail’d for Turtle Bay opposite the last two lines is “9” with wavy line border. Nov 7 Off C. St. Lus. Lat. 22. 42 N. Lon 110. 08 W. There is a 2-1/2” engraving of two American flags on arrow tipped poles which are crossed with the bottoms terminating on a three-tier plinth on a square base with line decoration. In between the upper cross flags Took 2 Whales 110 bbls. Beneath the flags Oct 14 Anchor’d In Turtle Bay. & Cooper’d 1000 bbls 31 Sail’d for Cape St Lucas. Reverse side: Having a vertical rectangle frame with a standing woman in long dress with shawl holding a small pocketbook. The top of the head is somewhat obscured. CONDITION: Yellow patina with some darker areas. REFERENCE: “Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists” by Stuart M. Frank, page 119. Lists Josiah Shefield Jr. circa 1828-1835. He describes as well as pictures a tooth in full page illustration on the previous page and mentions three other known teeth by this artist. Shefield was born in 1807 on Nantucket and he made a voyage out of New Bedford on the ship Timoleon 1831-1835. PROVENANCE: These two teeth were recently found in a house in upper New York State on the shores of Lake Ontario. These are a new discovery and we believe that they have never been out of the family that they came from. They are being sold as a pair. These teeth have been reviewed in person by Stuart M. Frank and a letter Mr. Frank accompanies the lot. 9-29437 (15000-25000)

Auction: Fine Art, Antiques & Asian - Winter 2006

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	437	$109,250.00	RARE AND IMPORTANT NUMBERED PAIR OF SCRIMSHAW SPERM WHALE’S TEETH DATED 1833 AND SIGNED JOSIAH SHEFIELD JR. Numbered teeth are very rare with the added rarity of a pair makes these teeth extremely desirable to even the most discriminating collector. 1) 6-1/4” tooth being decorated top to bottom as follows: Front side: No. 8 N. West Coast July 29 18 33 Lat. 37 10 N. Lon. 125 00 W Took 6 Whales. 2-1/4” x 3” engraved ship having three-masts with most sails up having what may be dark figures aboard. Underneath ship is “Sept 20 1833 Anchored In St Barbara Sept 29 Sail’d For Todos Santos Bay. Reverse side: 1-1/4” x 3/4” oval with Josiah Shefield Jr. CONDITION: 1/2” chip to left bottom corner of front side, yellow patina, blue ink spot on top of ship mast. 2) 6-1/4” tooth being decorated top to bottom as follows: Front side: No 9 Oct. 3 1833 Anchor’d in Todos Santos Sail’d for Turtle Bay opposite the last two lines is “9” with wavy line border. Nov 7 Off C. St. Lus. Lat. 22. 42 N. Lon 110. 08 W. There is a 2-1/2” engraving of two American flags on arrow tipped poles which are crossed with the bottoms terminating on a three-tier plinth on a square base with line decoration. In between the upper cross flags Took 2 Whales 110 bbls. Beneath the flags Oct 14 Anchor’d In Turtle Bay. & Cooper’d 1000 bbls 31 Sail’d for Cape St Lucas. Reverse side: Having a vertical rectangle frame with a standing woman in long dress with shawl holding a small pocketbook. The top of the head is somewhat obscured. CONDITION: Yellow patina with some darker areas. REFERENCE: “Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists” by Stuart M. Frank, page 119. Lists Josiah Shefield Jr. circa 1828-1835. He describes as well as pictures a tooth in full page illustration on the previous page and mentions three other known teeth by this artist. Shefield was born in 1807 on Nantucket and he made a voyage out of New Bedford on the ship Timoleon 1831-1835. PROVENANCE: These two teeth were recently found in a house in upper New York State on the shores of Lake Ontario. These are a new discovery and we believe that they have never been out of the family that they came from. They are being sold as a pair. These teeth have been reviewed in person by Stuart M. Frank and a letter Mr. Frank accompanies the lot. 9-29437 (15000-25000) Auction: Fine Art, Antiques & Asian - Winter 2006 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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