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For internal use only
On Display: House - Counting Room
Whale tooth (Scrimshaw tooth)
Edmund M. Chandler, Joseph Wood, Moses Thomas, Thomas Gimbrede
1834-1840
Category
Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)
Creator/Artist/Maker
Edmund M. Chandler (Probable engraver)
Place of Origin
Delaware; United States; North America
Materials
- Ivory (sperm whale)
- Ink-iron gall
Museum Object Number
1967.0876
Credit Line/Donor
Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont
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Complete Details
Object Number
1967.0876
Object Name
Whale tooth (Scrimshaw tooth)
Category
Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)
Creator (Role)
Edmund M. Chandler (Probable engraver); Joseph Wood (Inspiration); Moses Thomas (Inspiration for design); Thomas Gimbrede (Inspiration for design)
Place of Origin
Delaware; United States; North America
Origin Notes
The ship Ceres was registered in Wilmington, Delaware, and the "C Artisan" is quite possibly also from Delaware (Edmund M. Chandler), but the engraving of the tooth may have happened during a voyage. [AWagner]
Date
1834-1840
Mark/Signature/Inscription/Label
Type: Inscription
Location: Obverse side, beneath portrait
Inscription: "JAMES BIDDLE ESQ\R..." engraved and filled in black ink
Mark/Signature: Yes
Subject(s)
- War of 1812
- Maritime
- Scrimshaw
Materials
- Ivory (sperm whale)
- Ink-iron gall
Techniques
- Engraved
- Pinpricking
Dimensions (inches)
6.5 (H) x 2.62 (W)
Dimensions (centimeters)
16.51 (H) x 6.67 (W)
Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes
Thesis: Larnerd, Joseph. 2013 Captain Biddle's 'Coolness' Commandeers a Sperm Whale Tooth. M.A. University of Delaware Winterthur Program in American Material Culture
Book: Martin, Kenneth R. 1974 Delaware Goes Whaling 1833-1845.
Book: Frank, Stuart M. 2013 Scrimshaw and Provenance: A Third Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists.
• Chandler biography p. 50; Ceres artistans pp. 45-48.Article: Frank, Stuart M. 2022 Cabinetmaker Extraordinaire: The Scrimshaw of Nathaniel Dominy the 5th. Scimshaw Observer. 6 (3): 5.
• Published: p. 1