Eldred’s – The Marine Sale
August 4-5, 2022 at 9:30 am
1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, Mass
www.eldreds.com
508-385-3116

EAST DENNIS, MASS. — Eldred’s will offer more than 300 pieces of scrimshaw and whaling-related items, a group of China trade paintings and several rare navigational instruments among the diversified offerings of its annual marine sale on Thursday and Friday, August 4 and 5, both sessions starting at 9:30 am ET.

“In terms of quality, rarity and diversity, this is perhaps the most well-rounded marine sale we’ve had in our history,” said Joshua Eldred, president of the firm. “It’s not missing anything.”

The sale’s first session entirely comprises scrimshaw and whaling lots, notably scrimshaw examples by or attributed to the Vignette Artist, Caleb Albro, the Banknote Engraver and the Thistle Engraver (estimates ranging from $10/15,000 to $90/120,000). The sale features the personal collection of noted marine art dealer Joe Vallejo of Vallejo Gallery in California; other pieces are sourced from private collections throughout the United States.

The top scrimshaw lot is a significant “Susan’s Tooth,” dated 1829, engraved by Frederick Myrick of the ship Susan of Nantucket ($125/175,000). Myrick was a prolific scrimshander and his “Susan’s Teeth” all bear characteristically similar scenes, phrases and signature and date lines, but the tooth offered shows particularly crisp and superior workmanship and has rare, if not unique, motifs.

“This is the best selection of scrimshaw we’ve had in at least five years,” said Bill Bourne, head of Eldred’s marine art department. “There’s a great variety of teeth — ones that will appeal to the most discerning buyers and ones that will make a great addition to a new collection.”

Other scrimshaw highlights include an inlaid mahogany trinket box believed to have been made by whaling master Spencer Pratt for his wife, accompanied by ephemera and other items belonging to Pratt ($35/50,000), a pair of polychrome teeth with a rare volcano scene ($20/30,000), an extensively inlaid whale ivory and whalebone cane ($20/30,000) and a whalebone-embellished birdcage ($3/5,000). A variety of busks, pie crimpers, boxes and other utilitarian items are also included.

The sale’s second session, on Friday, August 5, kicks off with China Trade material, including several ship portraits, views of Chinese ports and export porcelain and silver, highlighted by a circa 1850 view of the Hongs of Canton, housed in a period Chinese Chippendale frame ($150/250,000). Other noteworthy lots include a circa 1800 bird’s-eye view of Whampoa Reach showing densely anchored ships ($5/7,000), a Chinese export Fitzhugh porcelain plate in orange, featuring a sepia spread-wing eagle at center ($4/6,000) and a three-part secretary bookcase with wire mesh panels and sophisticated moldings ($3/5,000).

“It’s the best group of China Trade we’ve had in many years, if not the best group we’ve ever had,” Eldred said.

Much of the China Trade material and most of the navigational instruments in the sale are from the Kelton collection of marine art and artifacts, a far-reaching collection assembled by Richard Kelton of California. Eldred’s has been selling items from the collection over several auctions the past few years. Instruments from this sale’s offerings include a rare signed and dated 1699 Danish cross-staff by Abraham Tade ($70/100,000) and a boxed mariner’s compass by Pedro Freire, Lisbon, 1789, with hand painted decoration in a remarkable state of preservation ($30/50,000). Several chronometers and sextants from other consignors are also included, as are high-power binoculars from the 1940s.

More than 120 paintings are included in the sale, highlighted by “Yachting off Castle Garden” by James Edward Buttersworth (1817-1894), which shows the circular sandstone fort known today as Fort Clinton in the distance ($30/50,000), “The SS Cornwall,” an 1880 oil on canvas ship portrait by Antonio Nicolo Gasparo Jacobsen (1850-1921) ($8/12,000) and “Sandbaggers Bear + Bull – Bear By a Close Margin,” an oil on Masonite by Massachusetts contemporary artist Dimetrious Athas ($8/12,000).

“The sale has a great selection of paintings from blue chip maritime artists like Buttersworth, Jacobsen, Robert Salmon and Montague Dawson and leading contemporary artists like Athas and Russ Kramer,” Eldred said. “But there’s also some really interesting early unsigned watercolors and drawings deaccessioned from a New England institution that we expect to do well, and some nice mid-market examples by artists like T. Willis, Joe Selby and Clement Drew.”

A C.H. Gifford portrait of a whaling bark leaving New Bedford Harbor is the centerpiece of the whaling-related material included in the sale’s second session. The large oil on canvas, probably depicting the Alice Knowles, is estimated at $20/30,000.

Nearly 50 assorted ship models are included, ranging from folk art dioramas to miniature motorized models, and builder’s half and full hull models to fine cased scale replicas of famous ships.

A sale preview will be conducted August 3 from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and by appointment. For information, 508-385-3116 or www.eldreds.com.

Preview August 3 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and by appointment
FROM TOP RIGHT I Rare 18th Century Boxed Mariner’s Compass Silver-Gilt Yachting Trophy Awarded to Columbia I Model of the H.M.S. Bounty I Significant Frederick Myrick “Susan’s Tooth” I
17th Century Danish Cross-Staff I Eagle’s-head Billethead I Nantucket-Made Single Flue Harpoon I Polychrome Scrimshaw Busk with Whaling Scene I Circa 1850 China Trade view of the Hongs I Trinket Box made by Whaling Master Spencer Pratt I Portrait of a Whaling Bark, probably the Alice Knowles, by C.H. Gifford