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I am not artistic, but I appreciate good art. I should have pursued my Oceanography/Marine Biology studies in college, but I didn’t. Luckily, I have managed to intertwine both interests into a passion for collecting nautical-themed scrimshaw. This passion lead to an invitation to become a WorthPoint Worthologist, specializing in authentic, antique scrimshaw. Image 1 is the mandatory WorthPoint head shot, which you will find on the Worthologist Directory page.
I am also webmaster of an international scrimshaw collecting website. In June of 2008, I began exchanging e-mails with a promising scrimshander named Rod Lacey, of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and encouraged him to share images of his scrimwork. I provided just a bit of information on how to make high-resolution, close-up images of his scrimshaws, then edited his results before posting them onto his own artist’s page in our scrimshaw gallery section: www.scrimshawcollectors.com/GalleryNew2.html, exactly as I have done for several other modern scrimshanders.
Then on July 29th, I received a surprise package in the mail. From Australia! I opened it with great anticipation. What I found rendered me speechless.
Rod Lacey had used my WorthPoint portrait [image 2] as an inspiration to scrimshaw my likeness onto a 2.5-inch x 4.38-inch section of 5,000-year old fossil walrus ivory [image 1]. He added a cap & foul-weather jacket, as would have been typically worn by a whaler, 150-years ago. I was dumb-founded! He enclosed a short letter, in which he tells me that this is a “Thank You” gift for my efforts on his behalf. Rod also revealed that he cast the 3.4-ounce silver base, which custom-fits the lower edge of the ivory [image 3]. The base is hallmarked “925″ & “M”. I am still stunned.
My momma always told me that one good turn deserves another. I just never expected it to be so expertly scribed, and set in Sterling!
Douglass Moody
Worthologist
Long Beach CA
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That is by far one of the nicest gifts I have ever seen. It is a perfect rendition and the custom base is beautiful.
Rod Lacey truly appreciates your endorsement!
best,
Chris Hughes
Wow Douglass,
That was a fabulous and totally unexpected gift! You must be thrilled with this piece of Rod Lacey’s artistry.
Lynn