Scrimshaw whale tooth with three tier monument, American circa 1845. The monument sits on a black and white engraved base with a rectangle block above below a smaller square block. At the top is an urn shaped finial with red sealing wax dots around the perimeter. There are three red sealing wax polychrome American flags, three projecting left and three others projecting right. The reverse has a large engraved tetraskele design which has four curved arms each one engraved on one half of the arm with an intricate pattern. Surrounding the tip is an engraved fan like pattern. (SC-1180)
Note: The tetraskele is a symbol seen in many scrimshaw boxes as well as other forms of American decorative arts.
Condition: The tooth is in fine condition and has a mellow age patina. One side of the tooth has an old small loss at the tip.
Frank, Stuart M., "Ingenious Contrivances Curiously Carved, " Godine Publishers, 2012, p. 86.
A similar tooth probably by the same hand appears on page 86.
Height: 5 ¼ inches
