A rare narwhal tusk, late 19th century
A rare narwhal tusk, late 19th century
For additional information please contact us:
Email: info@alessiolorenzi.com
Phone: +44 7701 088 288
REFERENCE: A2100
SOLD WITH CITES CERTIFICATE (A10 certificate number 595926/01)
Beautiful narwhal tusk from the latter part of the 19th century, possibly early part of the 20th century, (with Cites certificate), 195cm long and showing superb patina. Some medieval Europeans believed narwhal tusks to be the horns from the legendary unicorn. As these horns were considered to have magic powers such as neutralising poison and curing melancholia, Vikings and other northern traders were able to sell them for many times their weight in gold. The tusks were used to make cups that were thought to negate any poison that may have been slipped into the drink. In 1555 Olaus Magnus published a drawing of a fish-like creature with a horn on its forehead correctly identifying it as a "Narwhal". During the 16th century Queen Elizabeth I received a carved and bejewelled narwhal tusk worth 10,000 British Pounds (the cost of a castle) from Sir Humphrey Gilbert who proposed the tusk was from a "sea-unicorn". The tusks were staples of the cabinet of curiosities. European knowledge of the tusk's origin developed gradually during the Age of Exploration as explorers and naturalists began to visit Arctic regions themselves. Sold with Article 10 Certificate number 595926/01
Condition: very good, small chip to the tip of the tusk, in our opinion naturally occurring (due to the smoothness) during the animal’s life.
Dimensions: 195cm long, 6cm diameter at the widest point
Weight: 4.175kg