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HOME :
Decorative Arts :
Masterpieces : Scrimshaw Ivory
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Scrimshaw Ivory - K.21
Origin: New England
Circa: 1800
BC
to 1900
AD
Dimensions:
6" (15.2cm) high
x 3.75" (9.5cm) wide
Medium: Ivory
Condition: Very Fine
Additional Information: F.
£6,000.00
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
This piece represents a very
excellent example of Scrimshaw.
Scrimshaw is the name given to
scrollwork, engravings, and
carvings done in bone or ivory.
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.
On one of the two sides, the object
bears a series of three
meticulously carved elements: a
whale, a house, memory of the
times spent away from the oceans
and a beautiful sailing ship. On the
other half, the piece features a
very fine base-relief carving of a
dancer showing the shapes of the
body. The extremely refined details
of the figure reveal a real talent for
naturalistic and dynamic
representation in miniature.
- (K.21)
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