Narwhal Tusk

Arctic Waters

Circa 1800

An Antique Narwhal Tusk Monodon Monoceros

Length 93 cm (36.5in)

Monodon Monoceros is derived from the Greek, meaning "one tooth one horn", as its most distinguishing feature is the elongated left incisor which can grow to a length of 3 metres; the body of the animal being 4 to 5 metres. As it is found in the male of the species and very rarely in the female, the most commonly accepted theory for its existence is as a secondary sexual charateristic, possibly determining social rank as they have been observed rubbing tusks together although rarely aggressively.