19th century Italian carved marble table, 38" H x 82" L x 29" W. Provenance: Anthony's Cummaquid Inn, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts.
Mounted Scrimshawed Walrus Tusk with Various Whales
Historical 19th century sailor-made scrimshaw polychrome sawfish rostrum/bill depicting scenes from his voyages to New Bedford Liverpool, etc., through the years 1821-1854, as well as the names of his family members. A compass is depicted at the top along with an inscription that reads 'Any Road is Good if it Leads to Home', signed and dated 'George Culmer 1821 Sandwich Town', 31 1/2" L.
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Kaminski Auctions is pleased to announce a one-day auction featuring the personal scrimshaw collection of the iconic restauranteur Anthony Athanas of Anthony's Pier 4 fame. The auction includes various items from his restaurants, Anthony's Pier 4, General Glover House in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and Anthony's Cummaquid Inn in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, and his Swampscott, Massachusetts home. The auction will take place at the Athanas family warehouse at 44 Garden Street in Danvers, Massachusetts, starting at 11:00 AM EST.
Highlights of his scrimshaw collection include a historically significant 19th-century sailor-made scrimshaw polychrome sawfish rostrum depicting scenes from the sailor's voyages from New Bedford to Liverpool, England, and other travels through the years 1821-1854, as well as the names of his family members. At the top of the rostrum are a compass and an inscription that reads 'Any Road is Good if it Leads to Home,' signed and dated 'George Culmer 1821 Sandwich Town." This important piece of maritime history measures thirty-one and a half inches in length.
There is also a rare pair of antique scrimshaw walrus tusks depicting whales, three-masted ships flying American flags, 'Hare of the Sea,' and various seals, including the marbled seal, grey seal, common seal of Scotland, seal of Lepechin, and Felid seal. They are monogrammed at the base and measure 28 inches in length. Another antique walrus tusk, one of several, is intricately carved with various mammals and sea life, including halibut, hare, duck, narwhale, stag, and bear, and measures seventeen inches in length. There is also an antique scrimshaw bone jagging wheel or pie crimper, carved with a swan-form handle inlaid with baleen or ebony, with a dental-edge wheel. There are over a dozen pieces on offer from the collection.
In addition to the scrimshaw collection, there are over 80 lots of fine wines and ports from his restaurant's famous climate-controlled wine cellars, including such fine vintages as 1976 Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes, 1998 Hermitage La Chapelle, Paul Jaboulet, and 1964 Chateau Latour.
Furniture highlights include a 19th-century Italian classical carved table with marble top, and an 18th/early 19th Welsh Yew Wood Cupboard and hunt board.
There are also several leather tufted armchairs, sofas, oriental rugs, assorted tables, and other interesting items that Mr. Athanas collected to decorate his restaurants over the years.
Nautical collectors will take note of a cased wooden ship model of the 'Flying Fish,' a 19th-century brass telescope on a wooden tripod, several vintage brass sextants, some marked 'Heath & Co. London', and dated 1941, and a pair of paintings, oil on canvas, depicting ships at sea, attributed to Louis Dodd.
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