What is Scrimshaw?

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In the 1800s, there were many sail-powered whaling ships. The crews of these ships experienced great excitement and plenty of danger, but there were also a lot of days and even weeks of boredom on the open sea. To pass the time on these long, dreary days, crew members created a unique art form. Using the whale’s teeth and or bones, the men carved pictures on the surface of these ivory-like teeth, using simple tools like the needle used to mend torn sails. They started by sketching the design and then scratching the lines into the surface. Then they rubbed in black ink to the scratches. They could wipe the ink off the surface but the ink remained in the scratches and finely, detailed pictures were created. Today, old scrimshaw pieces are worth thousands of dollars. President John F. Kennedy owned a very large collection of scrimshaw. Nowadays, using the same method, some modern craftsmen use antlers or teeth shed by living creatures, since whales are protected by law. Modern plastics are also used. Have you ever seen a real piece of scrimshaw?