I bought something before the ivory ban [View all]

[Marthe48]

It is a thermometer lightly carved with the numbers (20 to 130 degrees) and an F. and what looks like lily of the valley flowers and leaves. It looks like bone or a whale or walrus tooth. I didn't pay much for it. It was lost in the packed boxes in the basement for at least 5 years, and I just found it today. The bone part has 2 holes in the bottom that fit on pegs on a round stand. The stand looks machine made, but the pegs look hand carved. I can't make up my mind if the thermometer is bone or plastic of some kind. The carved tooth is about 6" tall and the base has 3 little round feet and is about 1" tall and about 2" across.

If it were a natural material, I know I couldn't sell it, but are there any sites that could help me decide if it is a natural or man made material? Years ago, there was a man in our town who carved modern scrimshaw. I got this at a local sale years ago, so it might be something he did. But the carving looks vintage and like folk art.

I don't know how to post pictures on DU. I am going to take some tomorrow and see if Talking Antiques on Facebook will let me post it there. They banned ivory sales, but I just want an opinion about the material and go from there.

I found a whale tooth thermometer on a British auction site. The item I have is straighter, but this gives you an idea of what I am looking for: https://www.sworder.co.uk/auction/lot/149-an-unusual-whale-tooth-desk-thermometer/?lot=245597&so=4&st=whale&sto=0&au=&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=1&pp=25&pn=1&g=-1