Lot 1350* ♣ - A198 Ivory collection - Thursday, 30. September 2021, 11.00 AM
WALKING STICK OF A SAILOR
America / England 1st half of the 19th century.
Whale bone and walrus tusk. Twisted stick, in part decorated with ribs, the upper part with four free-standing pillars. Round grip.
L 86.5 cm
This object contains material of endangered species and is subject to certain trade restrictions. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import it into another country.
Such walking sticks were carved from the jaw bones of whales by American and European sailors on their way home and offered for sale to a clientele interested in natural science in the home ports. A difficulty, due to the organic source material, was to make a straight stick. A poem by the sailor Charles Murphy, who sailed on the whaler 'Dauphin of Nantucket' from 1820 to 1823, bears witness to this: "And having fitted well our ship To pass Cape Horn again, Each man then fore and aft the ship, Scrimshawing did begin. Then knitting-sheaths and jagging-knives Were cut in every, form, And other trinkets for the girls, As presents from Cape Horn." (Charles Murphy: A Journal of a Whaling Voyage on-board ship 'Dauphin of Nantucket', 1877).
CHF 3 000 / 5 000 | (€ 3 090 / 5 150)