19th Century Fijian Whale Tooth Necklace with Provenance
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A good 19th century Fijian Vuasagale whale tooth necklace, comprising a graduated series of eleven small whole sperm whale teeth with excellent old patina, with traditional old woven fibre lashing and some later cord reinforcement. The longest tooth 10 cm. Provenance: Private family collection, Palmerston North. 'It was gifted to us by a grandfather who was known to travel in the Pacific Islands'. 'As long as the family can remember, our grandfather had this, and it has been sitting in the drawer of an old writing desk for decades.'
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- Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.
As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.
Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.
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