Oval Baleen Box

Mediumbaleen, wood, non-ferrous metal

Dimensions4 1/4 × 8 1/4 × 6 1/4 in. (10.8 × 21 × 15.9 cm)

Object number1991.43.2

Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

DescriptionOval box, kapdoos form. Mahogany top; pine/spruce bottom; baleen skirt incised with leafy vine and sawtooth motifs; baleen sides incised with a flowering potted plant; a spread eagle and shield framed in a sawtooth border; potted plant; ensemble of three spread eagles with a basket, archways, and shrubs, framed by a proscenium arch bearing stars and supported by columns; full-rigged ship under sail flying an American flag at the taffrail; three fish swimming and three bids in flight, of which one is a dove with an olive branch in its beak; geometric designs flanking an overlap joint; non-ferrous fastenings.ProvenanceIsabel Proud Earle (1922-2000) of South Dartmouth, Mass., widow of Edgar C. Earle, Jr., was a patron of the Whaling Museum, Wellesley College, St. Luke's Hospital, and other organizations. (Obituary: South Coast Today, cf Dec 10, 2000)

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