Bone Nautical Objects

Scrimshaw is the art of carving bone, ivory, or other materials. It was a popular pastime for whalers in the 19th century, who created decorative and utilitarian objects. This very u...

Exceptional set of two large sea shells, in very good clean ready to display condition. Great decorative objet, offered and priced as a set of two.

Here is an unusual and rare trio of functioning antique bellows crafted in wood leather and turtle shells with a rustic form and beautiful aged patina....

Whaler made antique bone and ebonized wood round box, circa 1850. With pierced bone medallion and delicately carved bone spiral decorative supports on the...

Vintage Nautical Sailing Vessel Sculpture in Horn and String Offered for sale is a maritime nautical sculpture of a large sailing vessel made from horn and string. This striking ha...

A Napoleonic era bone prisoner of war model of the 40-gun frigate ‘Creolian’, the three masted barque with a planked hull, finely detailed with a carved poop deck and a female figurehead, intricate black thread rigging and a black plaque stating in gilt, Creolian. In the original glazed wooden case with a painted background of a sunset over a bay with ships on the horizon. French, circa 1800. Provenance Ivan Roll Amis, d. 1 July 1970 Richard Henry Allen Amis, CBE, thence by descent During the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815), large numbers of French soldiers and marines were taken prisoner. To help pass the time and generate a small income, they would make a variety of objects—including ship models—from simple, easily-sourced materials such as bone and wood for sale at local markets. Typically, the models were not made to scale and tools were limited, making the quality and attention to detail in this work even more remarkable. To realise a good price at market, the models were often named after famous ships of the time. It may well be that this ship was the ‘Créole’, a 40-gun frigate of the French Navy. She served in the Brest squadron, took part in Ganteaume’s expeditions of 1801 to Egypt, and was involved in the French acquisition of Santo Domingo (also known as the Era de Francia) and briefly detained Toussaint Louverture...

This fine powder horn has silver mounts by the silversmiths Thomas Phipps and Edward Robinson, hallmarked for London, 1803. The charger on the horn has three adjustments and a side lever system and the wider end of the horn has a silver cap engraved with two crests, shields and family mottoes. The crests are for the Maitland and Dick families and represent the lineage of Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland. The Maitland line, represented by the lion crest and the motto Consilio et Animus represents the arms of the male line. Maitland’s father, also Frederick Lewis Maitland (1730-1786), had an interesting and successful naval career though was rather overshadowed by the later successes of his son. The martlet (small bird) crest and motto In Domino Confido is the female line, in this case Margaret Dick, daughter of Viscount Frendraught. The Dick family was important in the clan hierarchy in Scotland, being the head of Clan Crichton and heir to Clan Makgill at this time. Provenance Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland KCB (1777-1839) and thence by descent Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland KCB (1777-1839) Born in Fife, Maitland was the father of a distinguished naval officer as discussed above. Mailtand joined the navy straight from school and, whilst serving on the frigate HMS Southampton under captain Robert Forbes...

A rare scrimshaw decorated horn signed by C.H. Wood. Each curled horn is ornately carved with important motif’s relating to the Battle of Trafalgar and iconic battleships. Our two ho...

A Very Fine and Important Miniature Portrait of the Prince of Wales, Later Edward VII, as Captain of the Royal Yacht Britannia Painted in 1896 by Robert Henderson for the Royal Warra...

English monumental polished steel carving set with inlaid eagle bone handles depicting E. pluribus unum motto. Stamped with Hallmarks in Silver S.H. Samue...

Fine Georgian mahogany bow fronted stick barometer. Bow fronted glass set in front of the silvered register plate with sliding vernier controlled by an ivory turned knob. Concertina ...

A rare scrimshaw decorated horn, engraved over one side with the Royal Arms countersigned and titled ship profiles for the Great Eastern, the Great Britain,...