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James Bute's rosewood and whalebone snuff box, English, dated 1831,
Sold for £2,500 inc. premium
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James Bute's rosewood and whalebone snuff box, English, dated 1831,
Footnotes
This snuff box comes from the same source as a pair of scrimshawed whales teeth by James Bute that were sold in these rooms on the 16th September 2009 for £42,500. They were described as "A very rare scrimshawed whale's tooth from HM sloop Beagle, decorated by James Bute with scenes from Charles Darwin's voyage in april 1834, decorated on one face with HM Beagle in rough seas off a mountainous shoreline, lettered 'Working HM Sloop BEAGLE up the River Santa Cruz' and signed J A Bute, the reverse with a scene of the Beagle beached on shore lettered 'HM Sloop Beagle laid on shore to repair her Forefoot' and again signed J A Bute, 7in (18cm) long".
James Adolphus Bute was born in England around 1799 and joined the Royal Navy as a Marine Private circa 1819. Bute is listed as a marine on board the Beagle's voyage to the Galapagos and could have collected sperm whale teeth from the whaling station on the Falkland Islands or from whalers in the vicinity. There are four other examples of Bute's scrimshaw work known.
