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American Eagle
(18th and 19th Centuries )
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."
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Tiffany & Co., New York; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, in or before 1908; by bequest to the Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Geographies
USA (Place of Origin)
Measurements
L: 7 1/16 × H: 3 1/8 × W: 1 3/4 in. (18 × 8 × 4.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, in or before 1908
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
71.399