Inlaid Antiques

This treasure constructed in the mid 19th century by whaleman Edward Foster of Rhode Island demonstrates the eloquent ability of such sailors to create works of art. This device was created to hold the pocket watch of its owner when it was not in use. The dramatic inlays, fretwork, finials and borders of bone, the fans in the corners and the quarter columns on rosewood are spectacular, reflecting the classic tall clock genre of the 19th century. Private collection.

Classic scrimshaw—sailor made—miniature bureaus with various bone and ivory inlay. Simple drawer pulls and columns, motifs of hearts and diamonds, and back splashes were common to these pieces. These three examples are in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

An ornate watch holder in the form of a tall clock with exaggerated finials. This example is in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

While the base of this box is typically constructed of whalebone, the wood cover on the top displays a design that is the template for numerous pieces for sale on this website. It is a visually pleasing, geometrically perfect design of a central five-point bone star surrounded by ten bone semi-circles. The outer border consists of a tight end-to-end and end-over-end sawtooth inlay of exotic wood. This piece is in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Two ornately inlaid miniature bureaus in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The symmetry of the profuse, widely varying inlays is classic for this form and pleasing to the eye on the patinated wood.

A baleen box in the collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Wonderful ebony anchor and star inlay.