Antique Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth on Wood Stand. The carving depicts a church and people dressed in 19th Century attire strolling by on one side, with a man riding a horse on the other. Unsigned. 

Size: 7 1/4 x 2 3/4 x 2 1/2 in. 

Scrimshaw refers to decorative scrollwork, engravings, and carvings typically created by whalers on whale byproducts like bone, teeth, and baleen. The practice began in the late 18th Century, evolving from sailors making utilitarian tools from readily available whale bone into artisans referred to as scrimshanders used sharp implements like sailing needles to etch designs into the surface that were then highlighted with pigments such as candle black or tobacco juice. The term gained popularity after being featured in mid 19th Century national newspapers and literary works like Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick.” Due to the unique conditions of its creation aboard ships, many surviving examples are unsigned and anonymous, and the practice was immensely popular until commercial whaling bans and the Endangered Species Act in the 20th Century restricted the harvest and sale of new ivory. Today, while the practice continues as a hobby and trade using modern tools and legal materials, genuine antique scrimshaw pieces are considered highly sought-after collectibles.

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