Scrimshaw hippopotomus tusk on stand

hippopotomus tusk

SCRIMSHAW & ALLIED ARTS - TUSKS
marad; scrimshaw
overall: 7 3/4 x 13 1/2 x 6 1/4 in.

Scrimshaw hippopotomus tusk (2008.109.6.A) on separate wooden stand (2008.109.6.B); etched with floral and botanical imagery alternating with geometric patterns edged with a scalloped border design; red coloration in areas; no decoration on verso. A crack runs the length of the underside of the tusk; three flush rivets (possibly copper) along the length are visisble on both sides. An unusally shaped, stained wooden stand rests on four feet, two of which end in carved, rounded pieces of bone, and supports the tusk in notches at each end; associated with Dr. Theodore Lewis and the whaling ship ATLANTIC.

2008.109.6.AB