At the corner of the transept with the north aisle is a 17th-century Tree of Jesse carved in whale ivory.
Shards of shattered whale ivory clattered under his feet with each step.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, swifts were sometimes made of whale ivory and they are now sought-after antiques.
Professional conservators of art and historic artifacts will generally recommend against applying any type of dressing (like oil or wax) to organic objects such as whale ivory.
These are ecologically correct versions of the scrimshaw designs once carved by mariners on whale ivory.
Featuring whale ivory and pearl shell design, it is recognized as one of the largest of its kind.
What kind of housebreaker would have known that this one piece was worth twenty times the price of all the whale ivory arranged around it?
