S e c r e t s

Sperm whales and whalers faced off for centuries. The interior of this box figurine shows an Englishman, James Bartley, who was supposedly swallowed by a sperm whale and found alive when the whale was finally caught and sliced open. The story, found in a French publication “Journal des Debats” is now discredited, but still a great story. Our James Bartley has his head cut off because it was the only way the lid of the box figurine would fit (sorry James). The large brain at his feet indicates that sperm whales have the largest brain of any mammal. The “Andrea” inscription on the lid is for Peter Calvesbert’s wife and “Hi Tim H” is a greeting for collector Tim Haugen. The number 2500 shows how many meters the whale can dive. The mouse is sandwiched between a pair of flukes.