19th c. Turned & Carved Whale Bone Ivory Sewing Clamp w/ Pincushion
SKU:
$0.00
per item
Elaborately turned and carved 19th c. whale bone ivory sewing clamp with pin cushion. Table clamp with carved cylindrical decoration and inlaid mother of pearl, includes bottle shaped thumbscrew. Original silk velvet pin cushion.
"Sailors carved sperm whale teeth, walrus tusk, or ivory from their catches. The captain got his pick of the teeth, but since a good sized sperm whale has 42 teeth, and the usual size of a three boat whaling crew was 21 men, no schrimshander was left toothless." (source: Sealift, U.S. Military Sealift Command, January 1978)
DATE:
c. 1840s
SIZE:
5-5/8" x 2"
PROVENANCE:
Nina Hellman - Marine Antiques, Nantucket, MA
CONDITION:
Very good, with wear to silk velvet cushion.
Sold out