A pair of scribed whale teeth showing what is possibly the same woman ten years apart, or so, in age, based on hair style and clothing. We speculate that a ship owner's wife or a captain's wife commissioned these portraits, copied from existing daguerreotype or albumen photos, both of which degrade at sea. A seafaring man could safely keep scrimshawed portraits for decades.
Note that the women on the left is wearing a dress pattern that would be made of cotton, dated to the early 1860s. She is wearing no jewelry and a simple hairstyle, typical of an un-married, young maiden. The lady on the right is wearing a fancy dress pattern that would be made of silk, dated to the early 1870s. She is wearing earbobs, a pendant necklace, coiffured hair, and possibly make-up. She typifies a successful marriage to a well to-do New Englander.
From the Nantucket area and kept together for many years.
Left tooth is 4.5-inches & 9.5-ounces; right tooth is 4.5-inches & 10.2-ounces.
Antique and Antique Collecting
Antiques have always lured those with a passion for the past and its cultural significance. Antique collecting though is a serious hobby which requires the hobbyist to posses a great deal of information on the history and other correlating facts if they are to land a reasonable purchase. Most often if not antiques make their way into the mainstream market via simple garage sales, auction houses etc. wherein the owner would have overlooked the significance of these precious collectables.
A reflection and testimony of the glorious past, Antiques are undoubtedly rare. Perhaps that is why Antiques have been collected and preserved for over thousands of years as a souvenir and tribute to what has been and gone. After all, those heard are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter!
Antique collecting has been in the books since the 16th century, gaining momentum through the 18th century to grow into what is now a healthy international business thats on par with the art industry. Some individuals prefer to collect antiques from a specific era, while most are into specific objects and aim at a timeline based collection such as vintage cars or clocks from the 1950s for example. The purchase of antiques is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effort that goes into their maintenance. Most objects would be anywhere in the range of 50 to 100 years old. The biggest culprit to an antiques degradation is exposure to natural elements, even the air in most cases!
Over the years, antique collecting has taken another curious twist as certain home décor trends these days reflect on a retro feel. For this reason a lot of long lost furniture and clothing styles from half a century ago have found their way back into the current world with small changes that help them amalgamate into the 21st century. This trend of commercially viable antiques has had a negative impact on the market as replicas of famous antiques have been making the rounds and authenticity issues are far too common. Examples for the same would be pendulum clocks, bone china and the 1970 – 1979 contemporary modern furniture.
When it comes to venturing towards a purchase, its best for an individual to take assistance from the nearest antique dealer organization as it would guarantee both its authenticity as well as cover any legalities. Most often the replica market supplies the same antiques at a much lower price and the buyer could suffer serious repercussions on purchasing from such sources as these pieces are not officially accounted for. Antique collecting needs to be met with diligence and maturity in order to successfully sustain the past in the present.
