On the long sea voyages from Innsmouth to the South Pacific, sailors in Obed Marsh's fleet whiled away the quiet hours carving artworks into monstrously large teeth brought up to them by the Deep Ones. These massive teeth were known about Innsmouth as a "Tooth of Dagon". This specimen, carved by Phinneas Marsh, 2nd Mate of the Sumatra Queen, depicts a well-armed sea creature along with a reminder of the three oaths of Dagon taken by the members of Innsmouth's Esoteric Order of Dagon.
The craftsmanship of the piece is extraordinary. Zoom into the supersize image and you'll see every serration of the sharks' tooth and every cut made by the scrimshaw artist's blade. The standard edition comes with a black wooden easel to conveniently display it. The pendant edition comes with a robust screw eye and knotted sisal cord.
Spoiler Alert - this paragraph may shatter the carefully constructed versimilitude of this product. Dagon's tooth is a cast replica of a real megalodon shark tooth fossil. We have combined artwork by Darrell Tutchton with HPLHS typography, and the resulting image is laser etched into the tooth. Neither sharks nor Dagon are harmed in the making of this product.
The Facts: the tooth is approximately 5 inches wide across the bottom and 6 inches tall and weighs a little over 5 ounces. The shadow box frame stands 11 inches tall, 9 inches wide and is 3.5 inches deep. The tooth is cast in polyeurethane resin and hand colored before the scrimshaw artwork is added. Finished teeth receive a light coat of sealant to prevent damage to finish by handling.
FAQ
These are the questions we anticipate you may ask us frequently.
Q: Is it real?
A: Without getting into a discussion of metaphysics, we'll tell you that it is real in the sense that it is a cast of an actual megalodon shark tooth. A faux finish is applied and our artwork is etched into (not painted on) the surface of the tooth.
Q: Do you ship these things? I live really far away.
A: The HPLHS ships worldwide. We insure an item like this against theft or breakage. If it doesn't get to you in perfect shape, we'll take care of it.
Q: Will mine look exactly like it does in these photos?
A: No, each piece is unique and is finished by hand so there are slight variations in each cast and finish. But what you see here is really close to what you'll get.
Q: How come you don't show the back of the tooth? Is there something wrong with it?
A: Not at all. The back is fully finished and looks like the convex side of a megalodon shark tooth. But the scrimshaw is all on the front.
Until you see genuine fossils in person, and, if you’re lucky, or a geologist, get to handle them, it’s often hard to appreciate them and the creatures they once were, or came from. As other have noted earlier, this huge, scrimshawed tooth looks and feels real, while its sheer size, as one tooth from a shark’s mouth once filled with many, is both impressive and terrifying. I opted for the version with the hinged wooden stand, which is itself a beautifully-crafted addition that fits the tooth perfectly and stably, while the Newburyport Historical Society’s accession card provides an extra layer of verisimilitude to the whole. Another wonderful HPLHS creation.
Very nice. Good quality.
The piece is hand crafted with very much the appearance and feel of a genuine artifact. It's worth keeping the display card.
This one has been on display on my weird fiction bookshelf for years. Really incredible detail and great artwork. The wood stand is perfect.
Seriously love this thing. I just wish I would have been able to get the deluxe kit with the frame.
