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How did 19th-century American whalers create scrimshaw?
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ivory carving
Kinugumiut Inupiat incised walrus ivory shaman's figure, c. 1890; in the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, Smithsonian Institution, New York City.
During the 19th century, American whalers created scrimshaw by decorating bone or ivory objects—most commonly whale teeth or walrus tusks—with intricate designs.
The process involved two primary steps:
- Carving: Whalers used simple tools, typically a jackknife or a sail needle, to etch fanciful images into the surface of the material.1
- Highlighting: Once the design was carved, the grooves were filled with black pigments, most commonly lampblack, to make the imagery stand out against the ivory or bone.1
The subjects of these carvings often reflected the lives of the sailors, featuring whaling scenes, ships, naval actions, and personal mementos like portraits of sweethearts or coats of arms. While the craft was practiced by various groups, it reached its peak among American whalers between 1830 and 1850.12