Found in a house in
Connecticut, the tooth weighed one pound six ounces and was
decorated with a depiction of Mount Vernon on one side and a
whaling scene on the other.
Whale's
Tooth Pulls a $35,750 Winning Bid at Waterhouse
Gallery
By Jackie Sideli
SEEKONK, MASS. -- It was standing room only for the annual
auction that Michael Collins's Waterhouse Gallery held at the
Ramada Inn in Seekonk on Sunday, March 23.
At this point, Collins, who is also an antiques dealer, holds
auctions once a year, but the gallery has plans to increase that
schedule, eventually holding two or more sales annually. After
the auction Collins said that they registered more than 300
buyers for this totally unreserved sale, which largely featured
material from local estates. Collins is already assembling
material for the next sale.
Northwest Coast fish fetish, $3,960.
The top lot of this auction was the circa 1820 whale's tooth that
had scrimshaw decoration on both sides. The tooth weighed one
pound, six ounces, measured 71/4 inches long, and was decorated
with a depiction of Mount Vernon on one side and a whaling scene
on the other. Found in a house in Connecticut, the tooth sold for
$35,750.
A dealer in Indian material purchased the Haida argillite pipe,
which sold for $6,325, with a phone bid.
A painted tin toy surfaced at this sale, which, despite its
slightly rough condition, did extremely well. Described by the
auction house as "rare," the 28-inch Markli Clockwork battleship
was marked "Ohio." Even though it had its smokestacks missing, it
brought a solid $17,050 from a toy collector in New York.
Haida argillite pipe, $6,325.
A Northwest Coast fish fetish, measuring 181/2 inches, vividly
painted and with a carved person inside its belly, sold for
$3,960.
Paintings that were offered at the sale included an oil still
life of peaches by Bryant Chapin, which brought $4,400. An oil
painting on canvas by J.C. Spencer sold for $4,125. A landscape
by E.D. Lewis, an oil painting measuring 30 by 50 inches, brought
$4,400. A small Nantucket basket in excellent condition sold for
$660.
All prices cited include the ten percent buyer's premium.
Collins said he was, "very, very pleased with the sale. The
customers responded to the freshness of the material, and to our
policy of no reserves."
