Scrimshaw appraisal requested for a piece of my old work

djt10

New Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2013
Messages
2
Yesterday, a lady contacted me by email asking me to appraise a scrimshaw piece I did many years ago that has been set into a sterling silver belt buckle. I have no idea what the market is like these days or what the value may be. Is there anyone here who does appraisals like that or knows someone who can? I just happened to have a photo of the original piece on a website, but she has a good picture of it set in the belt buckle. It's the Harpy eagle on this page, http://nitabeads1.com/scrimshaw.htm but I'd put the appraiser in touch with her to see the actual belt buckle. The buckle owner is her client, but she's just helping this person for free because he or she apparently inherited it as part of a meager estate and is facing hard times.
 

djt10

New Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2013
Messages
2
I put a picture of the Amazon Harpy eagle scrimshaw belt buckle on my website page: http://nitabeads1.com/scrimshaw.htm I thought the photo I already had was of the same piece done sometime in the 1980's, I believe, but after seeing them together, they are the same eagle but two different versions. The Harpy cabochon is longer and narrower, done on a what looks like a piece of fossil walrus tusk, and the belt buckle piece is smaller and rounder and looks like it's engraved on a piece of mammoth tusk ivory. The belt buckle scrim is the better of the two. The lady who sent me the buckle photo is trying to talk her client into keeping the piece but the client wants to sell it. Either way, it would be helpful to have an opinion as to the approximate market value of the whole piece, taking into consideration also that the scrim is set in a handmade sterling silver buckle.
 

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