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Mid Century Design : Mid-century
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A Sperm Whale Tooth with Mid Century Design Scrimshawed in Modernist Style of Miro or Klee

The early 20th century artist drew inspiration from many areas and one was the work of primitive cultures. Picasso, Man Ray, the Dadaist all used the "primitive" works as inspirations. This can be seen in the works of Picasso and his cubist works, the Dadaist with the primitive sound poems and their masks and the list can go on.
Here a piece that is in the style of Miro and or Klee, both of who also drew inspirations from "primitive" works of African mask design and other cultures. This piece has a strong inspired aesthetics of the North West Coast Eskimo culture but still shows a talent of someone with a background in Western abstraction theory taught in higher education.
This is an authentic Sperm Whale tooth that has been scrimshawed with a modernist style of Miro, Klee and or other master of the early 20th century art. I have to say I have never seen such a unique piece of scrimshaw.
The tooth is approx. 4 1/8" tall x 1 3/4" wide at the base. The wood stand is marked on the bottom, Alan Shapiro is approx. 2 1/2" at the widest point (the bottom) and is 2 1/8" high.
The total height of the tooth and the stand is 6 1/4".
If you have any questions or need additional photographs, please feel free to email me.

Detail photos Click to enlarge

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