Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Decature-Adams Tusk
Image courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.
Copyright and other proprietary rights in material on this site may be held by individuals or entities other than or in addition to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The John F. Kennedy Library does not warrant that the use of materials displayed on this site will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to these works. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum respects the intellectual property rights of others. The John F. Kennedy Library may, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, remove, disable and/or terminate access to any material on or linked to or from this site that it suspects to be infringing upon a third party's intellectual property rights or other rights.

Decature-Adams Tusk

Artifact IDMO 63.2139
Object Type Scrimshaw
Date before 1963
Medium Walrus tusk
DimensionsOverall H 28 1/2 in (72.4 cm)
Physical DescriptionWalrus tusk scrimshaw, the largest piece in President Kennedy's collection, shows only preliminary outlining and remains unfinished. The front, from top to bottom, is etched with Neptune riding a hippocanth with two attendant mermen, a portrait of Commodore Stephen Decatur USN based on a John Wesley Jarvis painting, a portrait of John Adams based on the work of Gilbert Stuart, the Adams' mansion with "Quincy Mass" inscribed below. The back, from top to bottom, is etched with the personification of Justice with an eagle, a table amphora filled with flowers, a seated lady holding a fan wearing a gown typical of the 1860's, a woman running along a rocky shore with a lighthouse in background, inscribed "Light of the Lighthouse." The main etching is a woman carrying basket of roses on her head with Cupid peaking over the brim preparing to unleash an arrow, inscribed below "Love among the roses."
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteItem is from the personal collection of President and Mrs. Kennedy. It was donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy in 1965.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesJohn F. Kennedy Personal Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676959)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedUse Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view