80/6481 [Whaling]. "Cagelot of Potwalvis, lang omtrent 60 Voeten, even benoorden Egmond op Zee Levend Gestrand op den 15 February 1764. den 1 Maart aldaar in Veiling Verkogt voor 810 Guldens." Engraving by CORNELIS VAN NOORDE, 20,5x33 cm., w. cartouche showing "De Vis tegen de Rug te zien", w. engr. caption below image and "den 19 February naar 't Leeven Getekend en in't Koper gebragt te Haarlem door Cornelis van Noorde", ±1764.

- Doubled, closed tears in right margin just touching the image; closed hole in left blank margin.

= Nice and rare view of a stranded sperm whale, with an inset view of the whale seen from the back. Ingalls 380; F.M. 4150; Atlas van Stolk 4136; Sliggers/ Wertheim p.92ff, i.a. on the legal argument that unfolded in the wake of the stranding of this sperm whale. Two groups claimed the ownership of the sperm whale, basing their argument on customary law at sea that dead whales were possession of those that staked the first claim. This specific whale was displaced from its original stranding place (where it had been claimed by the first group) by strong winds in combination with a flood and was then claimed by a second group of claimants. The bailiff in charge judged that right of salvage and not sea laws prevailed, which meant that neither of the two groups had any claiming rights and the proceeds of the sale had to go to the States of Holland. Provenance: the collection A.M. van den Broek.