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Whale tooth carved with Darwin’s “Beagle” set to fetch £ 50.000

The tooth probably was from the Falkland Islands and it is most likely to be from a sperm whale.

A whale's tooth decorated by a marine on board the Beagle during Charles Darwin's expedition is set to fetch £50,000 at auction next September 16th, reports The Telegraph. The scrimshaw, a piece of work created by a whaler, depicts two images of HM Sloop Beagle, one when she was at sea and the other when she was beached for repair at Santa Cruz in Argentina in 1834.

The seven-inch long tooth, most probably picked up in the Falkland Islands, was decorated by James Adolphus Bute, a marine on the voyage that famously stopped at the Galapagos Islands. It is signed and is a rare item from one of history's most influential voyages, which is why the pre-sale estimate is so high.

One side shows the ship in rough seas in front of a mountainous shoreline and the other depicts men working on the hull of the Beagle when she was run ashore for repairs. Beneath this image Bute has written: “H M Sloop Beagle laid on shore to repair her Forefoot.”

As a marine he would not have much to do while the ship was sailing and had time to give to his artistic pursuits. He is likely to have picked up the tooth from the Falkland Islands and worked on it during the month long trip to the Galapagos Islands after sailing from the Straits of Magellan.

It is probably from the mouth of a sperm whale and after being scratched the scrims hander would rub in black soot from the oil lamps.

Lionel Wallis, from Bonhams Auctioneers in London, said: “This is unique and not only is it good scrimshaw but it is from the Beagle, one of the most influential voyages ever.

”The depiction of the Beagle on her side is similar to a famous engraving and it shows men at work on the hull. But he probably picked up the tooth from the Falkland Islands and it is most likely to be from a sperm whale.

“As a marine he would have little to do when the ship was sailing and so probably whiled away the hours making this.

”He would have scratched it with a metal pin or something then run lamp black over it - that was the soot from the oil lamps they used.

“He obviously did it after the repairs were made to the ship and after they'd visited the Falkland Islands.

”So it is most likely that he made it between the Beagle leaving the Magellan Straits and arriving at the Galapagos Islands.

“There are lots of collectors of good scrimshaw and that is reflected in the estimate.”

In Darwin's diary he writes about the time at Santa Cruz.

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 there are only four other known pieces of his scrimshaw.