Scrimshaw is the name given to scrollwork,
engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. The
word Scrimshaw was probably derived from a Dutch
or English nautical slang expression meaning “to
waste time.” Typically it refers to the handiwork
created by whalers made from the byproducts of
harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly
made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales,
the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of
walruses. It takes the form of elaborate engravings
in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface
of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted
using a pigment, or, less often, small sculptures
made from the same material. However the latter
really fall into the categories of ivory carving, for all
carved teeth and tusks, or bone carving. The making
of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1745
to 1759 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the
ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as
a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans.
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