Narwhal Tusk (SOLD)
Arctic Waters
Late 19th Century
An Antique Narwhal Tusk Monodon Monoceros
length 240 cm (94 in)
CITIES Certification No. 418958/01
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.
