S/2046 Antique 18th Century Baleen (whale bone) Stay Busk

A fine love token baleen (whale bone) stay busk, having comprehensive incised decoration, comprising of two eight pointed stars within circles, a fenced house with trees and birds, two portraits of sailing ships, probably whalers, one at anchor and the other in full sail, an anchor with entwined rope, vase of flowers and initialled WN and DV. The whole design is filled in with red and white coloured pigments and it is in fine and original condition throughout. Stay busks were often carved by sailors and whalers as love tokens as in this instance, an importan collector's item.

Sold 13 in. (33 cm.) Wide
1½ in. (4 cm.) Deep
English Circa 1770