American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts

depicting the fictional female pirate standing on acanthus leaves, also illustrated as part of the patriotic device on the verso.
Length 8 1/4 inches

This depiction copies the illustration on the cover of Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain by Lieutenant Murray (Boston: F. Gleason, 1845), pseudonymously written by Maturin Murray Ballou (1820-1895), later owner, editor, and publisher of Ballou’s Pictorial and Drawing Room Companion.

Due to the similarities between the patriotic devices and the acanthus leaves, one could reasonably assume that this tooth was decorated by the same hand as the Two Ships Underway tooth (Lot 35). Furthermore, the matching size, shape and morphology would indicate that the teeth are from the same whale.

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.