“Winter Wolf Hunting” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk bark by David Adams. Stealthy hunting wolf portrayed in snow clad forest, alert and hungry. Adams is just brilliant using the natural tones of the mammoth ivory white contrasted with the black tones of the wolf and background detail. This is what black and white scrimshaw should be. Really amazing composition here.
“Patient Leo and Cub” black and white scrishaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. Patient male lion seems to be enduring the cub’s play. Hard to say just how long it will be before the curious cub gets a slap and snarl. Most parents can identify. Adams subtle shading and stipple work are just outstanding on this one. Nice thick piece of mammoth on 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.
“Polar Bear in Mist” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Perfect example of contrast between the white of the ivory and the darker shades of the polar bear. Anyone studying scrimshaw technique should know this is what one aspires to achieve some day. That day is here for scrimshander, Adams.
“Eating Crow” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory tusk ivory by David Adams. Not the usual meaning of eating crow. Love the composition of this piece. Knowing what to leave out of a scene is difficult for some artists, but not Adams. Just a hint of a body and a couple of falling feathers tells us all we need to know about the final outcome. This is a beautiful piece of mammoth ivory, by the way.
“Bengal Mother and Cub” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. Cub wants to play or get fed while mom appears to want a bit of solitude. Most parents know the feeling. The window in the bark provides a natural frame. Very nice work.
“Great Horned Owlets” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth ivory bark by David Adams. These fuzzy pair look like they will soon take flight. The window polished into the ivory bark provides a perfect natural frame for Adams’ exceptional scrimshaw. Great Horned Owl young remain in the nest for about six weeks, then climb out onto nearby branches. They begin taking short flights at seven weeks, and can fly well at 9-10 weeks.
“Call of the Mammoth” color scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory bark by David Adams. Leader of the herd trumpets a call to everyone around, not only other mammoths, but to potential predators. Excellent work by outstanding scrimshander, Adams. Leaving the outer bark intact provides a perfect frame of sorts for this artwork.
“Scrimshaw Globe on Ivory Cue Ball” scrimshaw by David Adams. Very large cue ball perfect for a rare Adams piece. Done years ago, this is from the collection of one of our clients who is no longer with us. Mounted on a handsome stand by the late Ken Fredericks, pieces of this caliber are seldom seen today.
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 it to you and everyone complies with the law. Any questions email or call us.
“Majestic Big Horn Sheep” color scrimshaw on flat slab of ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. This is hands down one of the very best wildlife pieces we have ever had, and that includes hundreds and hundreds of fine pieces by the best working over the past 40 years. This one ranks right up there with the very best Dorning pieces (not his production work), but the very top end pieces. That being said, take some time to study this masterpiece by Adams. Note the hazy mountains in the background, and, yes, a river runs through it. Everyone who has seen it in person feels the same way about this one (WOW!). The stand of bloodwood and curly maple is angled properly and compliments the work perfectly. Very few like this become available today.