Scrimshaw tooth

This is almost certainly inspired by the South Pacific and definitely the craft of a British engraver.
 
The activity of whaling has largely and quite rightly been consigned to the history books. However, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was a huge industry when men pitted their wits, and in many cases their lives, against the leviathans of the deep. Thousands of sailors spent months away from home in search of what at the time were essential commodities: whale oil and meat. These extended trips led to much down time and boredom for the men on ship and one way of occupying themselves was to utilise the otherwise redundant products, bone and teeth.
 
This tooth is a classic example of the folk art which became known as scrimshaw. Etched and inked designs varied from the naive to the supremely intricate, often echoing the sailor’s experiences and loves.
 
With the export restrictions on marine ivory this may only be sold within the UK. The market for such items remains very strong on the Eastern seaboard of the United States where this would be valued at double our price and more.

Details

Scrimshaw tooth 19 century