antik.it/Nautical-antiques/7795b-Scrimshaw/
1703777794Code 7795b ScrimshawScrimshaw of an engraved whale's tooth dated 1861, depicting on one side a large sailing vessel under full sail of excellent workmanship and under the name SHIP NOLAN.
On the back, a large Greek chalice vase is engraved, with a finely decorated double handle and filled with flowers and ears of wheat, on the sides small harpoons as decorative elements and the date 1861.
Good condition. Measurements 8x4x2.5 cm – 3.2x1.6x1 inches.
The word scrimshaw refers to an art form (and the various products of this art) developed aboard American whalers between 1745 and 1759 as a means of recreation to occupy time during long hours on board; this art form consisted of a process of engraving and carving whale bones and teeth, with which a wide range of objects both commonly used and ornamental were made, which were usually made as souvenirs for members of one's family. In the choice of materials the first was certainly the ivory tooth of the sperm whale. Only the tip of the tooth was smooth and it was necessary to prepare the rest of the rough surface by polishing it. The tooth was well soaked in salt or warm water, often with added potassium. Then a file was used to rub and round the surface, and finally fine sandpaper was used to complete the process. The last stage of polishing was performed with pumice or ash and then the tooth was rubbed again with the palm of the hand. Each step had to be done very slowly so as not to damage the smooth surface of the tooth. As regards the subjects to be engraved, the most common were the drawing of a ship or scenes of cetacean capture, made with a needle or a knife, or an appropriate blade: for example, thanks to Herman Melville we know that some whalers had boxes of Dentist tools specially designed for scrimshandering. The origin of scrimshandering, as the whalers called it, i.e. the art of making scrimshaw, is a mystery: theories range from identifying its origin in Eskimo culture or Native Americans, to emphasizing the influence of South Sea islanders. The explanation of Edouard A. Stackpole (1903 -1993), American journalist, writer and whaling historian, is perhaps the most plausible: scrimshaw would have simply been the maritime development of the ancient art of carving ivory, as it had been practiced for centuries, and as a folk art form would have been nothing more than an adaptation by American whalers of an ancient craft.
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Nautical antiques
Code 7795b Scrimshaw
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