A carved seaturtle carapace

Possibly from Atlantic island origin, 18th-19th century

The surface is decorated with a delicately carved pastoral scene: a shepherd and shepherdess in a flower field. The lady sits beneath a tree beside her crook, as the gentleman helps her to her feet. Around them, a lively array of domestic animals animate the scene. In the background stands a farmhouse topped with a dovecote, a pigeon poised for flight, and the steeple of a church rising into a stylised 'Holy Spirit' amid swirling clouds.

H. 46.7 x W. 41.5 cm

The lower section bears a large palmette, while the border is adorned with a scrolling foliate frieze. At the crest sits a grotesque human mask with narrowed eyes, heavy brows, and a pronounced moustache. Between the central motif and the edge, large areas are blackened with pigment, emphasising the relief. The reverse, or interior, is painted in an off-white “clean” tone.

A remarkable example of 19th-century sailor or convict folk carving, comparable to sculpted coconuts of maritime tradition.