“Custom Ivory Inlay Letter Opener” handmade one of a kind letter opener featuring pre-ban African Ivory, Mammoth Tusk Ivory and Ancient Walrus Tusk Ivory all inlaid into a rich cocobolo wood.
“Bengal Cooling” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by David Adams. Bengals love water and this one seems to be having a great time. Note the reflection in the water, whiskers and coat. Incredible work by Adams here. The ivory was used as an ice axe hundreds of years ago in the Northern Bering sea area. It is quite heavy; the back side shows how it was worked. There was just a hint of workable surface on the front side and see what Adams had created. The dark chasms in the background had no workable surface, but Adams created the side of the mountain with the stream running down the crevice. Brilliant touch. This illustrates how he studies the complete piece before beginning his work. Elegant stand completes the picture. A keeper if there ever was one!
“Old Ironsides in Storm” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by Gerry Dupont. Dramatic rendering of famous warship in stormy weather. Carrying all of her sails, Old Ironsides will probably outrun the weather. Scrimshander, Dupont, has taken full advantage of the color in the walrus tusk to create the dark, gloomy atmosphere. Great touch by one of the best. Handsome stand completes the picture.
“Wolf in Winter” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Adams. Wolf carefully stalks an unseen prey after heavy winter snowfall. A badger, hidden in his burrow, watches. The shading of the snow on the branches is simply amazing. One can feel the extreme cold and almost hear the rippling water in the stream. Note how Adams has worked the distant forest in the background. Wildlife scrimshaw does not get any better than this. Primo heavy chunk of ancient walrus tusk ivory completes the picture.
‘Chicken Family’ carving on ancient walrus tusk ivory by unknown artist. Excellent detail on this charming piece done on ancient walrus tusk ivory.
“Epic Undersea Battle” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by Gerry Dupont. Sperm whale and giant squid battle deep in the ocean’s depths. It was not uncommon to discover large sections of flesh torn out of the massive whales by this squid. This is done on a piece of ancient ivory used as a tool hundreds of years ago. Interesting that just enough enamel was left to create a work of art after all of the time it was buried. Great color in the ivory.
“Alaskan Grizzly Bear” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by Geoff Olson. Hungry grizzly stands up to get a better view. Scary sight, indeed. We know it is an Alaskan grizzly because it was done by an Alaskan scrimshander. From the collection of one of our clients who is no longer with us. Big chunk of fossil walrus.
“Great Horned Owl Alone” Black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory slab by Charles W. Conner. Scrimshander does great bird portraits. The great horned owl, also known as the tiger owl, or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. From the collection of one of our clients who is no longer with us.
“Brown Bear Duo” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by Dennis Sims. Alaskan scrimshander, Sims, creates his own bases, always interesting. This one was part of a native sled runner hundreds of years ago. Nice work here at a bargain price. From the collection of one of our clients who is no longer with us.
“Woman with Lantern” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Smith. Moody depiction of mysterious woman with lantern appearing to signal, or guide, a full rigged clipper in dense fog. Is the woman attempting to alert the ship of its danger, or is she a modern day siren guiding them to their destruction? One of the many great things about art are the questions raised over and over many years. Think Mona Lisa’s smile. Large chunk of fossil walrus (14.6 oz.) mounted on beautiful bubinga stand complete the picture.