IMPORTANT SCRIMSHAW TOOTH DONE ABOARD THE NANTUCKET WHALESHIP "SUSAN". Profusely engraved example with one side depicting a starboard view of the vessel with her whaleboats engaged in sperm whaling. In the sky above is a banner with the inscription "The Susan boiling & killing sperm whales". Off the bow is the artist's trademark American Eagle holding a flowing banner in its beak with slogan "E. PLURIBUS UNUM". The tip of the tooth decorated with crossed American flags. The reverse with another starboard view of the "Susan" cutting in a whale while her whaleboats continue the pursuit of more whales. Above in the sky is another banner inscribed "The Susan on the coast of Japan". The tip engraved with a fouled anchor.  Top edge of the tooth inscribed "Ship Susan of Nantucket/Frederick Swain/Master". The bottom edge of the tooth with slogan "Death to the living   long life to the killers/Success to sailors wives & greasy luck to whalers". In a ring that circles the entire tip of the tooth is engraved information and date "Engraved by Frederick Myrick on board the Ship Susan February the 9th 1829". The tooth is also engraved in several areas with delicate leafy vine motifs. 6" long. Strongly executed and in excellent overall condition noting typical but sound age cracks and a few ancient chips missing from base area but not invading any of the engraving. Comes with a nicely made, ebony wood, display stand. Illustrated and discussed on page 17 in the Kendall Whaling Museum's Monograph "Frederick Myrick of Nantucket Catalog Raisonne". Also illustrated on pages 188, 190 & 191 in Charles R. Meyer's 1976 book "Whaling and The Art of Scrimshaw". A classic example having all the sought after qualities a collector seeks on one of the great prizes in scrimshaw collecting.       p.o.r.