“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.
“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.
“Smiling Mermaid” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by David Adams. Nestled in shadows, this mermaid seems quite pleased. One wonders just what caused this pleasant smile on her charming face. Every piece can tell a story with just a little imagination. This is done on a stunning artifact used as a scraping tool hundreds of years ago by natives in the Northern Bering Sea area. Not much of this type of ivory available today.
“Pensive Blonde Mermaid” black and white scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory artifact by David Adams. One wonders just what is going through this attractive mermaid’s mind. She definitely has a plan. Approaching mariners beware. Amazing detail in the rocky shoreline by equally amazing scrimshander, Adams. He rarely does mermaids these days, so this one is a welcome addition. Ivory probably used as a digging tool hundreds of years ago.
“Pirates on the Run” black and white scrimshaw on ancient mammoth tusk ivory by David Adams. Three armed vessels have a pirate ship on the run. It appears that the pirates will easily outrun the three, as they are seen lagging in the distance. Unusual subject matter for scrimshander, Adams, but he knocks it out of the park. The detail on the prow of the pirate ship is amazing. Note the breaking waves. Very solid piece of mammoth ivory on this one.
“Duckling Trio” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Adams. Adorable ducklings appear to be waiting for their mother. They all have that “where is she” look. Great work by Adams. You can see the soft feathers on their backs.
“Wolf on the Prowl” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tusk ivory by David Adams. Alpha wolf has zeroed in on something interesting. This is not one wolf to be taken lightly. Adams has captured the feel of the wolf as well as the intense look. Great work here. Tasteful stand completes the picture.
“Lemurs Mother and Child” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tooth ivory by David Adams. Bright eyed lemurs are found only on Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. They actually have two tongues and spend their lives in trees. Adams always comes up with interesting subjects.
“Ring-Tailed Lemur” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tooth ivory by David Adams. Unusual subject matter for wildlife scrimshaw, but Adams always comes through. In over four decades of seeing first rate scrimshaw, this is the first ring-tailed lemur I have come across. Just had to find out more. This is from the internet:
Lemurs are mammals of the order Primates, divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are native only to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees, and are active at night.
“Leopard Hunting at Night” color scrimshaw on ancient walrus tooth ivory by David Adams. Intently searching from an outcrop, the leopard hunts unseen by his prey. Adams’ work just gets better and better. He works each piece, regardless of the size, to the best of his ability. Nice ebony and mammoth ivory stand complete the picture.