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Source Description
Although formerly thought to have been carved by a sailor on a New Bedford whaler, this whale-tooth ornament falls outside the traditions of New England scrimshaw. The sculptor has treated the subject with remarkable realism, thus permitting ornithologists to identify the model as a bald eagle. The only inaccuracy in the rendition is the nostrils, which would open through the beak rather than through the cere, the soft tissue at the base of the bill.Labeled: "162;" remnants of a paper label marked: "G III."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
38871
label
American Eagle
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
38871
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
American Eagle
description
Although formerly thought to have been carved by a sailor on a New Bedford whaler, this whale-tooth ornament falls outside the traditions of New England scrimshaw. The sculptor has treated the subject with remarkable realism, thus permitting ornithologists to identify the model as a bald eagle. The only inaccuracy in the rendition is the nostrils, which would open through the beak rather than through the cere, the soft tissue at the base of the bill.Labeled: "162;" remnants of a paper label marked: "G III."
provenance
Tiffany & Co., New York; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, in or before 1908; by bequest to the Walters Art Museum, 1931.
date
late 19th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
ornaments
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
18
height
8
depth
4.5
dimensionsRaw
L: 7 1/16 × H: 3 1/8 × W: 1 3/4 in. (18 × 8 × 4.5 cm)
Source extras
inscriptions
[Number] 162; [Label] Remnants of a paper label: G III
med
sperm whale tooth
creator_ids
6184
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
722bae5557d85dcc