Antique Scrimshaw Masterpiece by Edward Burdett

A true masterpiece of American scrimshaw. Rare and important antique scrimshaw sperm whale tooth of the whaleships William Tell of New York and Friends of New London, signed "Engraved. by Edward Burdett. of Nantucket. Onboard of The William Tell."  Depicts a whaling scene of the William Tell cutting in and two whaleboats engaged with a sperm whale. Reverse features the whaleship Friends approaching port. Accents of red polychrome is found in details. A decorative vine completes the composition. Excellent condition, measures 7-5/8" long. Based on logbook records, the ship William Tell left New York in November 1829 and returned to port in February 1833, the Friends had concurrent voyages in 1827-1830 and 1830-1834.   This is the finest antique scrimshaw tooth on the market and is on par with any example found in museums. A Burdett tooth at the New Bedford Whaling Museum [Link: 2001.100.2048] is this tooth's near identical match. Taken from the same jawbone, it has the same shape, size,