Rare walrus ivory and island wood candlestick, American, mid-nineteenth century. The shaft is a complex bulbous turning and sits on a rectangular whale ivory square shaped base which is mounted to an island wood three tiered base with a whale ivory border with abalone shell circular disc inlays.
Condition: The ivory has a deep age patina and the wood has a few age cracks as does the whale ivory shaft. (SC-1098)
Note: Scrimshaw candlesticks are rare and most of them are made from whalebone, only on very rare occasion is one made from walrus tusk. To make a scrimshaw ivory stick requires a very large section of ivory.
Literature: Scrimshaw candlesticks are illustrated in "Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders Whales and Whalemen" by E. Norman Flayderman, p.202. A similar pair of scrishaw whale ivory candlesticks are illustrated on this page.
Dimensions: Height 8 ½ inches
