Rafael Osona's Annual Auction Catalog 2019 2015 | Page 91

218. FANCY SAILOR MADE INLAID AND POLYCHROMED SWIFT, circa 1850, known as the Baroque swift, one of 3 by this hand to date. The 2nd in a private collection and the 3rd at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and illustrated on page 278-279 in Stuart Frank’s Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved Scrimshaw in the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Among the three, this swift is the only one with silver and baleen dot inlaid ribs (1728 pieces). The top turned finial unscrews to accommodate a yarn ball to rest on the cup, ivory clasp and cup finial inlaid with abalone and silver dots with black and red scribe lines. More importantly an ivory shaft in three sections which generally is whalebone. Original green stained fitted box. Height 20 in. Diameter open 22 in. 88