482 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
"Your
Majesty is now seated upon a throne which in material and form rivals
that of King Solomon and the like of which cannot be seen in any other
realm."
JAGGING WHEELS*
The
Old Dartmouth Historical Society in New Bedford, Mass., has in its
Museum Section some 150 examples of "jagging wheels" fashioned out of
whale teeth or walrus tusks by whalers on the homeward trip after their
catch had been made. These wheels are used in cutting and indenting
pastry. The objects testify to a wonderful degree of skill and taste on
the part of these amateur carvers, whose work shows in many cases an
almost mechanical exactness one would scarcely expect in view of the
rude tools employed and the often disturbing conditions of the carvers'
floating workÂshop.
The
objects on view in the Society's rooms were made in the period between
1800 and 1860, and it is believed that no work of this kind has been
done for twenty years or more. The handles of the jaggers show an
astonishing Variety of decorative forms, many of the ornamental designs
being in openwork. One of these offers a trefoil, a diamond, and a
circle in openwork, while at the end is a five-pointed star. The solid
work, however, is the most artistic. In several cases graceful snake
forms have been carved; in one of these the convolutions are partly
turned about the halberd-like staff of the handle, the upper part of
the snake's body describing four graceful curves above. Other forms
are: a hand as terminal; a strangely conceived unicorn; a fantastic
creature, half elephant, half dog; a snake head with widely distended
jaws, displaying the forked tongue and deadly fangs. The excellent
photograph, for which the writer is
"Communicated by Mr. Frank Wood, Curator of the Museum Section, who has been collecting these objects for the past twelve years.
