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.
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