Page 8 - Sale 2271 - Printed & Manuscript African Americana - March 1, 2012

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(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION.) EARLY ENGLISH SLAVERS, JOHN
HAWKINS ET AL.
Elephant Ivory Tusk, recovered from the wreck of a 16th
century slave ship.
45 inches long with pronounced curvature; 4 inches in diameter at
the base, tapering to a fine tip; the surface, uneven from long period in salt water has been
professionally restored and preserved resulting in a smooth, warm patina; mounted on a
polished wood panel, 18 x 47 inches, upon which is a copper and brass plaque with the
following engraved on it: “This elephant tusk recovered from circa 1543 shipwreck on the
Great Bahama Bank by Captain Herbert Humphreys Jr, the officers and crew of the research
vessel Beaconin 1992. Framed and preserved by Rene Charette, chief preservationist.”
Np, circa 1543
[8,000/12,000]
This ivory tusk was recovered from one of two wrecks discovered on the Great Bahama Bank
by Captain Herbert “Herbo” Humphreys Jr. in 1992. He and the team of the research vessel
“Beaconin” had been searching for the stern portion of a Spanish wreck, the “Nuestra Senora
de las Maravillas,” known to have gone down in these waters in 1656, carrying a reported
cargo of five million ounces of Peruvian gold and silver.The Great Bahama Bank is a notorious
“graveyard” for ships, caught in storms and driven onto the treacherous reefs. Instead of the
Nuestra Senora de las Maravilas, Humphreys and his team came upon two other ships. One
was dubbed the “Tumbaga” wreck, for the type of Spanish gold bar found there, the other an
early English slave ship. Both vessels could be dated with some accuracy because of the objects
recovered from them.The Spanish ship yielded coinage dated 1525; while a canon raised from
the English ship was found to have made by the noted English armorers, the Owynn Brothers.
The latter bore the arms of King HenryVIII and was dated 1543.Thus the ship might have
sunk any time within ten years or so of the manufacture of the canon. In addition to the
canon, two ivory tusks were found, one of which is offered here.Also found were the remnants
of shackles and a carved Ballast stone withWest African design sold in these rooms in 2011.
The earliest organized slave traders were the Spanish, supplying their plantations in the New
World. But the English were quick to follow, realizing the economics of the trade.Admiral Sir
John Hawkins (1532-1595) is credited with being among the first to establish the “Triangular”
trade as it came to be known, carrying cargoes in excess of 300 slaves fromAfrica to the Spanish
colonies in Santo Domingo and then back to England with cane sugar and rum.
SLAVERY AND ABOLITION
LOTS 1-92
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