Pierced-work Crimper

DateCirca 1850

Mediumwhale ivory, metal

Dimensions2 1/8 × 2 1/8 × 7 1/4 in. (5.4 × 5.4 × 18.4 cm)

Object number1923.7.66

Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

DescriptionPommel, shaft, and saddle carved and decorated from a single large sperm whale tooth: pierced-work filagree pommel (six hearts, three diamonds), terminating in a distinctive concave butterfly-shaped motif with scalloped edges; pierced-work shaft hollowed and thus doubled (eight hearts in patterns of four each, two rounded crosses, perfectly alligned on both sides); architectonic moldings at each end of shaft; diamond-shaped piercing on each side of the saddle; single fluted whale ivory wheel; metal pin axle.

Four crimpers in the NBWM collection are by the same hand, thus (on the basis of the family provenance in the Kendall Collection) attributed to Captain John Marble: 1948.30.75 and 1948.30.85 (both Weston Howland Coll.), 2001.100.1837 (Kendall Coll. #S-1477), and 1923.7.66 (Frank Wood Coll.), which are very much alike in most particulars. Compare 2001.100.1005 (Kendall Coll. #S-883), which appears to be a closely-related variant: it has similar scalloping and architectonic moldings at each end of the shaft, but the surmount is a trifid double wing, the pommel is inserted, the pierced work is curves (including violin f-curves), and the saddle scalloped.

On View

Not on view