Remember Me

[anteros_lmc]

You come across all sorts of things on maritime auction sites, but it's fair to say I have never seen anything quite like this before! Well I have, but not in a maritime auction ;) In case you're in any doubt, the catalogue entry describes it as a "rare piece of nautical art, a scrimshaw hollow container with a lid in the form of a phallus.

The catalogue entry is quite fabulously coy. Apparently it is:

"Intended as a token of affection to a loved one left behind and a reminder of the absent traveler's love while they are at sea for extended periods of time."

A token of affection? I'll say!


The piece is carefully described as follows:

The semi-naturalistic form featuring decoration on side of the hollowed ivory shaft, an 'en grisaille' scene of two women, faces solemn, demonstrating proper use of the object. The entire vignette above a flowing banner emblazoned with the words "Remember Me" - as if the Latin motto accompanying some strange heraldic crest.

Demonstrating proper use of the object??! XD

I don't know how much this "rare piece of nautical art" is selling for as I'm not registered with the auction site, but the catalogue suggests it would make "a fine 'conversation piece' for the parlor". Or indeed a fine practical piece for the bedroom...

And on that note, I have to disappear again for a couple of days. "Remember me" won't you? ;)

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I read once that the Nantucket whalers made such things for wives to keep during long voyages. There are some in the Nantucket whaling museum. (I have not been there since grade school, and do not remember seeing them.) The items were called 'he's-at-home.'

But a hollow he's-at-home to hold keepsakes is quite a grand thing.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I am still creasing myself laughing at this being called a "he's-at-home". It's certainly an apt name!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

No, no. Nothing improper here. Just two solemn ladies demonstrating the proper use of a rare piece of nautical art. I wonder does it require the presence of two women to be used "properly"? :)

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

Solemn faces while demonstrating it's proper use? Are they sure they're using it correctly?

I seem to recall at the salacious gossip tour I went on at Hampton court last year they mentioned such tokens were all the rage in polite society!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Indeed. One would think that if they were using the artefact properly they wouldn't be looking quite so solemn ;)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I say! This does look like a token worth having. I think I should keep it on the occasional table and have my guests converse about its artistic and aesthetic value at length.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Or its length, artisticly!

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Indeed!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Ha! You beat me to it XD

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I felt sure you would appreciate this purely on the basis of it's aesthetic merits. *nods solemnly*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

"rare piece of naughtical art, a scrimshaw hollow container with a lid in the form of a phallus.

Fixed it.


SCNR

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Missed that typo. Thanks for fixing.

[amaraal.livejournal.com]

*snort* I don't know about what to giggle first. The object or the descriptions :) Fine conversation piece :) Indeed!
I wonder, if it was used on a ship in a 'proper' manner, too!??? Cooool!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Enough of this snorting and giggling! I'll have you know this is a rare piece of nautical art. Oh yes.

I wonder, if it was used on a ship in a 'proper' manner, too!???
One certainly does wonder..... ;P

[amaraal.livejournal.com]

Agreed - it's art :) No saltshaker - art :) No to the proper use on a ship, because... erm... they had... they were fragile :) *slinks away*

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Have as good a time as you can-- and hurry back!

[shezzawatto.livejournal.com]

"Condition Report" on the site reached from the link.
"Fine antique condition, scuffs, no breaks or damage, surprising stamina for a 200 year-old"
Discuss!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I am imagining the cataloguers sitting there decking themselves laughing while trying to draft the filthiest catalogue entry they could get away with XD

[ioanite.livejournal.com]

Two half-naked (at least) women, one of whom is demonstrating the "proper use"...do you think the hint of lesbianism was intentional?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I do believe it may have been ;)

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

Ahem, should I ask: container for what? *g*

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

My first thought--please, God, not snacks!

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

CLICK (http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/aletheiafelinea/29666222/101116/101116_original.png) :> *scampers away*

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Eeek!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Yikes! That's a novel use for a "rare piece of nautical art" ;)

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

AOS Multitool. ;)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing* No fangirl should be without one! XD

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I wondered that too. The women of Nantucket were notorious for opium use. Maybe you were supposed to keep your opium in there. (But it was probably something more boring like thimbles!)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Maybe you were supposed to keep your opium in there.
Y'know that's the first thing I thought of. Perfect place to hide your stash!

it was probably something more boring like thimbles!
Tbh I think I'd be more surprised to find thimbles in there than opium!

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I NEED TO PUT THIS IN THE NEXT NOVEL.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

XD I am going to have to start charging you for props and plot devices!

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Free copies?

[kittycallum.livejournal.com]

Crazy thing is, I'd never heard of these until you posted this, and then two days later I opened a book on the tragedy of the whaleship Essex -- and the first page I turned to was about Nantucket women and the 'he's-at-home'! I burst out laughing ... in the middle of a silent library. It was a very odd coincidence.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! nodbear and I have a mission to make fangirls behave disgracefully in libraries. We once got a stern telling off for giggling from the Special Collections librarian at Glasgow Uni. There was only one other person in the room at the time XD