Hyland Granby Antiques    

Outstanding scrimshaw whale tooth. The obverse side of the tooth depicts a beautifully engraved mermaid being coiled by a serpent.

The mermaid has long hair which is parted in the middle. The long hair emits from her head with four twisted rays to her right and five to her left. She is wearing a necklace and a bracelet at each wrist. She has a slender attractive figure with well defined scales below her bellybutton to the end of her tail. The serpent has a black head with alternating black and white bands going down his body. The serpent and the mermaid do not appear to be in conflict. The serpent appears to have a smiling countenance.


To the right of the mermaid is a beautifully engraved tortoise whose head and shell is half out of the water. Above the tortoise is a spread winged seagull. The bottom side of the tooth has a beautifully articulated flying fish, behind him a dolphin and above the fish is a well detailed seagull. The bottom side of the tooth has engraved water which unifies the subjects on each side of the tooth. American. Circa 1850.

     

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