antik.it/Nautical-antiques/8570-Scrimshaw/
Code 8570
EUR 1900.00
In stock
1784987935Code 8570 ScrimshawScrimshaw of an engraved sperm whale tooth, depicting a whaling ship at sea, finely crafted from the second half of the 19th century, length 15.5 cm.
Good condition, cracked on the back.
Dimensions: 15.5 x 3 x 3.8 cm – 6.2 x 1.3 x 1.5 in.
The word "scrimshaw" refers to an art form (and its various products) that developed aboard American whaling ships between 1745 and 1759 as a means of entertainment during the long hours aboard.
The voyages could last from 3 to 5 years, chasing sperm whales across the Atlantic and Pacific. Whaling ships were veritable floating factories, equipped with furnaces on deck to boil blubber and turn it into oil directly at sea.
This art form consisted of a process of engraving and carving whale bones and teeth, which was used to create a wide range of objects, both practical and ornamental, usually made as souvenirs for family members.
In the choice of materials, the ivory tooth of the sperm whale was undoubtedly the first.
Only the tip of the tooth was smooth; the rest of the rough surface needed to be prepared by polishing it.
The tooth was thoroughly immersed in salt or hot water, often with added potassium. A file was then used to rub and round the surface, and finally fine sandpaper was used to complete the process. The final polishing step was performed with pumice or ash, and then the tooth was rubbed again with the palm of the hand.
Each step had to be performed very slowly so as not to damage the tooth's smooth surface. As for the subjects to be engraved, the most common were drawings of a ship or scenes of whale capture, executed with a needle, knife, or an appropriate blade: for example, thanks to Herman Melville, we know that some whalers had boxes of dentist's tools specifically designed for scrimshandling.
The origins of scrimshandering, as whalers called it, the art of making scrimshaw, are a mystery: theories range from tracing its origins to Eskimo or Native American culture, to emphasizing the influence of South Sea Islanders.
The explanation of Edouard A. Stackpole (1903-1993), an American journalist, author, and whaling historian, is perhaps the most plausible: scrimshaw was simply the maritime development of the ancient art of ivory carving, as it had been practiced for centuries. As a folk art form, it was nothing more than an adaptation by American whalers of an ancient craft.
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Nautical antiques
Code 8570 Scrimshaw
Antik Arte & Scienza sas di Daniela Giorgi - via S. Giovanni sul Muro 10 20121 Milan (MI) Italy - +39 0286461448 - info@antik.it - www.antik.it - Monday-Saturday: 10am-7pm
