| American scrimshaw or at least a comparable type of art form has been discovered by
archeologists to date back to 100-200 AD. Scrimshaw has been practiced for centuries by native
groups along the Northwest Coast. Not wanting to simply discard the teeth and bones of animals
hunted for food, native cultures invented a new style of art that would later be known as
Scrimshaw, one of only a few indigenous American crafts. Globally, many cultures worked in
ivory and bone utilizing the style of North American cultures and that of the northern sailor, who
came later, were distinctly their own, lifting American Scrimshaw as a traditional art form. It was
adopted by the northern whale men of the early 1800's. Two- to five-year voyages quickly became
monotonous, so the whale men turned to working with baleen, whale teeth, and jawbones, all of
which were in abundant supply. In fact, on many ships, whale teeth were part of the pay and
were often traded in port for goods or services. The origin of the word is obscure; one interesting
etymology is a Dutch phrase meaning "to waste one's time!" The term "scrimshaw" also applies
to carved or pierced bone or ivory, since much of the whale men’s work was carved rather than
etched.
Scrimshaw is a slow and tedious art process. There is not much room for error and a tiny
mistake may render a project ruined. Scrimshaw requires great patience and a steady hand.
Each piece can take many hours to complete. Scrimshaw is usually  defined as carving or embellishment of ivory or bone. Today's definition would
more likely be thought of as the intricate incising of ivory to produce images of unbelievable
detail. Incising and engraving could both describe the scrimshaw method. Extremely sharp
scribes scratch the surface of the ivory, and then paint or ink is rubbed into the incisions.
Stippling is a technique of employing thousands of minute holes that are then carefully filled with
pigment to reveal a beautiful work of art and to create the fine shading.
Scrimshanders (scrimshaw artists) are still practicing this beautiful art form today. Their work
is in high demand and very collectable. Their procedures and great proficiencies create the
modern masterpieces that contribute to the ever increasing collector’s value of this compelling
and historical American art form. This era of scrimshanders has produced the finest scrimshaw
pieces ever produced.
Most scrimshaw is done on shed antler. However other sources of bone and ivory include
legal elephant, antique piano keys and fossil ivories. Scrimshaw is also seen on horns like the
black powder horns used for hunting.
Scrimshaw combines the allure of history, fine art, and heritage making it not only a
potentially valuable investment but an investment in our heritage. It connects us from cave
paintings to the masterpieces of the modern world.. Maybe the value scrimshaw collectors see
far surpasses the dollar. |
