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Scrimshaw is an indigenous American craft. many people collect these beautiful pieces of maritime artwork. Scrimshaw is etched or carved bone or whale teeth. It began as a way for sailors to literally whittle away the time ...
Scrimshaw is an indigenous American craft. many people collect these beautiful pieces of maritime artwork. Scrimshaw is etched or carved bone or whale teeth. It began as a way for sailors to literally whittle away the time during long sea voyages in the early part of the nineteenth century.
The most common media was whale teeth, as it was readily available to the seamen, and was even used for pay in many cases. in Modern times, scrimshaw is done on ivory, bone, and even antler. most modern practitioners of the craft use eco-friendly resources, such as naturally-shed antler, or ivory taken from old piano keys.
Scrimshaw is very detailed work, in most cases. It is carefully etched into the media and usually has a maritime them, reflecting its origins. many fine pieces are of whaling scenes, whales, women, ships, or seascapes. the finished etching is then sometimes colored with quality inks to accentuate the etching.
Scrimshaw is to this day a practiced art and is no longer confined to seamen, although most scrimshaw etchers will stick with maritime themes out of respect for the history of their craft. Collectors desire many of the original antique pieces, but are not averse to sprinkling their collection with more affordable modern pieces.
Care and cleaning of scrimshaw is important to collectors, as it is easy to damage it, especially some of the finer pieces with inks, especially colored inks. One of the primary care taking rules is to keep scrimshaw dry and out of direct sunlight. Both moisture and sun can fade the inks and dyes, and direct sunlight can cause ivory or bone to develop cracks.
The recommended method of cleaning scrimshaw is to very gently wipe the surface with a cotton swab that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol. very little pressure should be used, as too much pressure can damage the inks or even the etching itself. Never use any harsh cleaners on scrimshaw, such as shampoo, soap, detergents, jewelry cleaner, or bleach.
A light wax coat can help preserve the scrimshaw, especially ivory scrimshaw. if beeswax is used it can prevent drying and slow the aging process down considerably. just warm the beeswax and apply a very light coating to the scrimshaw after each cleaning.
If scrimshaw is properly cared for, it can last several lifetimes and can provide not only you, but also your heirs, with beautiful artwork with rich history that can be both fun and profitable to collect.
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