19th Century American Scrimshaw Whales Tooth

Description

Heading : A Scrimshaw Whales tooth
Date : mid 19th century
Period : Victoria
Origin : Britain but most probably USA
Decoration : Engraved with the unflagged ship “Rebecca” and portly sailor wiht pipe
Size :  11cms length ( about 4.25 inches)
Condition : Dirt filled cracks. uneven brown patina. soft sheen.
Restoration : None
Weight :  180grams

This is a ship rather than a Brig and it is not carrying a flag. Thre were no fewer than nine ships carrying the name Rebecca between 1790 and 1860 on both sides of the Atlantic. However. two ships both called Rebecca were whalers. one sailed fron Nantucket and the other New Bedford.

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 export restrictions on marine ivory please be mindful of the regulations in your domain.