Ivorine Fake Faux Whale Tooth Scrimshaw | ||
| Folk Art521 of 2611 |  |  |
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Posted 5 years ago
yougottaha…
(392 items)
Whale Tooth!! Lot of these out there!!!! Around the Cape and New Bedford Ma, Display Great!!! and get a lot of comments!!! Had it for over 35 years!!!!! FAKE!!! Beware!!!
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Even tho it’s fake, it still has an interesting scene on it (so I’m giving it a Love even tho I detest phonies).
It's good that you noticed that it was a bogus tooth. There are several articles on the internet as to how to determine the age and authenticity of a sperm whale tooth. It's age is quite important as to weather it is legal to own an authentic sperm whale tooth or not. Crazing in the tip, sides, and tail shows age and is almost always on older, legally owned teeth. Also some fakes are early teeth with modern schrimshaw inscribed. Close examining can show if the inscriptions and drawings are original, early markings. Again, look up, on the internet, or better yet, get professional advice as to it's age. The Federal Government can and will confinscate, as well as fine you if a whale tooth is of a date newer than the legal allowed harvest date. I believe, but, not sure that the tooth must be 100 years older than the time the ban on owning whale teeth was enacted, around 1970.
If anybody is better informed on this subject, please post the info, we are all interested
Look at my profile 7 yrs back & most of what you ask about is explained on my scrimshaw walrus tusk poste. One Customs guy launched an attack trying to get my scrimshaw and there was no doubt that it was for him & would be in his collection. Those people probably make more money stealing things that their pay is. Living in the islands, I've seen a number of original whale teeth with "scrimshaw". They have all been really crude. Prayers with letters done in pin-holes usually. The more elaborate the engraving, the more doubt you should have. Good ones will pass the "heated needle" test as they have gotten so good, that the surface will pass that test, but they are made in layers & the underneath won't pass. Mine got chipped while moving & that's how I found out. If it looks too good to believe, it probably is. There are more fakes than original on evilbay and they have gotten expert in their trade. "Buyer beware"!