SCRIMSHAW
Europe
19th century
Sperm whale tooth
Length: 17 cm; Width: 6.5 cm

Sperm whale tooth called a scrimshaw, engraved with a boat on one side and a boat broken in two by a sperm whale, sailors falling into the sea, another sailing ship watching the scene.

During the 19th century, whalers set sail from ports for maritime expeditions that could last several years, sometimes up to five. Life on board was punctuated by the alternation between intense periods of whaling and long periods of inactivity on the open sea. It was in this context that scrimshaw developed. To occupy their free time, sailors began engraving and sculpting the materials from the captured whales. The term "scrimshaw" appears in American archives in the early 1820s, although its origin remains uncertain. It eventually came to designate all the engraved or sculpted objects made by the crews aboard whaling ships.

Ref.: 7186

Text and photos © FCP CORIDON