“Seductive River Naide” color scrimshaw on large slab of ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Sirens were often mentioned in mythology. Most assume that all sirens were ocean sirens as described so powerfully by Homer. Hence, the origin of “siren song”, a song that is beautiful and sweet, but leads to doom. It would be difficult to resist the songs of this beautiful siren. Scrimshander, Adams, put everything he knows about the art of scrimshaw into this masterpiece and it shows. Just look at the transparent water below the surface. Amazing how he pulled that off. The effect of the flowing waterfall in the background is amazing as is the minute detail on the foliage of the damp hills. Love the extra added touch of the braided vines in her hair. The amount of work in this is hard to describe. It took months and months of toil by the artist to achieve this. Also, the thick slab of perfect mammoth ivory is quite rare. This is the type of art that one keeps in the family for generations. Cannot praise this one enough!
“Pirate Ship Attack” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Adams. Pirates flying the Jolly Roger engage an unseen quarry. Judging from the cannon on the pirate ship, the end will be quick. Extraordinary detail by scrimshander, Adams, on this one. Impressive strand completes the picture. A winner all the way around.
“Racing to Tea Docks” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Two China tea clippers depicted leaving for the London tea docks. The first to land with its precious cargo could claim higher prices, thus giving captain and crew a large bonus. Beautiful thick piece of mammoth bark perfect for this gem.
“Whaling Bark at Sea” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Whaler knows time is money and is full rigged to get to the whaling grounds before others. Adams has done a masterful job on this gem. He is one of the most versatile scrimshanders working today. Beautiful piece of mammoth, by the way.
“Becalmed Whaler” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Sometimes you just have to wait for a favorable wind. Excellent detail by Adams on this primo piece of mammoth ivory. Note the eagle on the stern. Nicely done.
“Crashing Through Heavy Seas” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. Dramatic rendition of pounding heavy seas. The ships were built to withstand conditions such as this. Adams has done a great job capturing the actions. Fine work, indeed.
“Direct Hit” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory tusk bark by David Adams. Explosion rips open an unfortunate battleship. The captain seems to have put her in a strange position as she was unable to fire broadsides at the cunning opponent. Dramatic work by Adams on this one. The use of color intensifies the drama of the battle.
“Wet Bengal Tiger” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Bengal cooling off, happy as can be. Excellent detail in this portrait of the magnificent Bengal. Note the detail in the open mouth as well as the amazing feat of highlighting droplets of water. Artistic details such as this are what make Adams’ work so compelling. Primo piece of mammoth bark with no checks or lines. A winner.
“Amazing Bald Eagle” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. One of the strongest eagle portraits we have ever had. Adams has managed to perfectly capture the intensity of the magnificent bald eagle. The stipple work on the background is truly amazing. Note how the dark tones at the bottom highlight the subject matter. This takes dozens of hours work, not to mention taking experience and talent developed over decades of creating scrimshaw. A winner.
“Barn Owl on Antique Domino” color scrimshaw on rare antique ivory domino by David Adams. Last two of these dominos we had and Adams did a superb job on both of them. Mounted on a cocobolo stand, this would be a fine addition to any scrimshaw collection.
Notice:
This scrimshaw is done on pre-ban African ivory. Since the passage of the CITIES Treaty in 1973, there has been no African ivory brought into the U.S. However, ivory that was in the U.S. prior to 1973 can be legally sold and shipped within the U.S. However, new legislation taking effect in 2016 restricts pre-ban African Ivory from being shipped interstate. It can only legally be shipped intrastate, (within the state). All of our pre-ban ivory is located with our associate in the state of Florida. It can be purchased directly from our website and shipped only to an address within the state of Florida. If one has a relative, trusted friend or business associate within the state of Florida, we can ship to that specified address in order to comply with the new Federal legislation. The scrimshaw can then be forwarded to you and everyone complies with the law. Any questions, email or call us.