| Description |
A scrimshaw staybusk made of whalebone. One side is divided into six panels viewed vertically. They are engraved top to bottom with: warships signalling and a ship's boat; a thatched cottage with a smoking chimney amid three poplars, a model boat and four swans afloat on the river in front, the lady of the house looks out over a half door while a man cuts the hedge; two hearts pierced with an arrow on top of an altar or capstan; a church; a black swan; a fort flying the Union Flag.
Each scene is separated with a band of geometric decoration, with tasselled, draped curtains at the top and a partridge in a tree below. The initials 'A.M.L.' are engraved on a diamond in the centre. On the other side, viewed horizontally, is a whaling scene with a barque-rigged whale ship, and three boats amid a pod of sperm whales. The head of a whale that has been harpooned is shown on the left, the tails of two whales in the centre. Three dead whales are marked with flags. The engravings are coloured in black, red and green. |
