Scrimshaw is the craft of engraving and carving on whale teeth, whalebone, baleen and walrus ivory, practised chiefly by sailors aboard whaling ships during the long voyages of the nineteenth century. The design was usually scratched into the polished surface with a knife or needle, then rubbed with ink, soot or lampblack to make the lines stand out.
Common subjects include whaling scenes, ships under sail, naval battles, portraits of women, patriotic emblems and scenes copied from popular prints. Sailors also made useful objects such as pie crimpers, walking sticks, boxes, swifts for winding yarn, busks for corsets and tools. The heyday of scrimshaw coincided with the American and British whaling industries in the first half of the nineteenth century. Collectors value documented pieces, inscriptions, fine detailed engraving and an attractive aged colour. The field is complicated by modern fakes in resin or plastic, sometimes called fakeshaw, and by later engraving on old teeth, so careful examination is needed. Trade in sperm whale ivory and other marine materials is also subject to legal restrictions, including CITES and national ivory laws, and these should be checked before buying, selling or exporting any piece.
