American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts

one side depicting an American full-rigged ship-of-the-line, most likely the USS Pennsylvania, the other side with an unusual, contemplative female bust portrait, probably copied from a popular magazine or book illustration.
Length 5 3/4 inches.

The USS Pennsylvania, the largest American sailing warship ever built, was frequently illustrated (including by N. Currier in 1846 and Gleason’s Pictorial in 1853), and would have been familiar to most whalemen and sailors who served in the Navy in the mid 19th century. The ship was launched in 1837 and burned in 1861 to keep it from being captured by the Confederacy.

Hindman is grateful to Stuart Frank, Senior Curator Emeritus of the New Bedford Whaling Museum for his assistance in the cataloging of the scrimshaw offered in this auction.