- Dept19th Century Scrimshaw
- SizeLength 4 ¾ in. Width at base 2 ¾ in.
- Sold$252,000
SOLD FOR $252,000
An exceedingly rare and historically important Nantucket scrimshaw sperm whale tooth signed in cursive at the cut edge “Made.By.Edward.Burdett”. The obverse engraved with a starboard view of the “Pacific” under sail; the reverse with a port view of the “Pacific” under reduced sail and cutting in a blanket of blubber with a whale alongside, which is a rarer occurrence on the port side; the top edge with a foliate border and “Pacific of Nantucket” engraved on the lower edge in cursive between the scenes, a leaf vine border surrounds the base.
Length 4 ¾ in. Width at base 2 ¾ in.
Edward Burdett the earliest known American whaleman artisan was born on Nantucket in 1805. The legendary “islander” joined the historic Nantucket whaling industry and his work’s date from the mid-1820s to 1833, he died at sea in 1833. This “Pacific of Nantucket” tooth is the only known example of Edward Burdett’s work to have descended in the family. It was likely a gift from Burdett to his sister Nancy Burdett Davis.
Provenance: From the artist’s sister, Nancy Burdett Davis (b. 1808) to her daughter Sarah B. Cordiss (b. 1830) directly descended in the family to a private collector. Sold again in 2013 to the current private collector.
Literature: Refer to Stuart M. Frank & Joshua Basseches 1991 monograph “Edward Burdett, 1805-1833 America’s First Master Scrimshaw Artist” for further details on this whaleman artist.
Exhibited: Nantucket Whaling Museum, Scrimshaw Gallery June-July 2005, commemorating the opening of the newly renovated museum.
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