Native Alaskan Scrimshawed Cribbage Boards

early 20th century

lot of 3, includes:

one in the form of a bear; single blue bead eye, length 10-1/2 inches

a second scrimshawed with fish and seals; Nome, Alaska along the side, length 11-1/2 inches

a sled runner(?); pierced through at one end and decorated with caribou, walrus, and whales, length 12 inches

This lot is located in Chicago.

Condition
Bear missing second eye; missing stands.

Provenance
From the collection of Father Edward F. Sippel of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, inherited from his mother, Della (Beau) Sippel, daughter of John Louis BeauBeau’s wife died in 1895 shortly after the birth of their son, Johnny. The children, Della and the infant Johnny, were subsequently raised by relatives in Calvary, Wisconsin. During this period, Beau spent approximately thirteen years in Nome, Alaska, where he operated the Beau Mercantile during the gold rush era.In 1933, Della reclaimed her father’s remaining personal effects from his bankrupt estate, preserving a small group of artifacts and photographs related to his ventures in Alaska.