Large Sailors Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth
A Large Sailors Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth
Etched with a portrait of a naked maiden probably depicting Lady Godiva with her long flowing hair
American or English
Circa 1850 – 60
Size: 16cm high, 11cm wide – 6¼ ins high, 4¼ ins wide
Etched with a portrait of a naked maiden probably depicting Lady Godiva with her long flowing hair
American or English
Circa 1850 – 60
Size: 16cm high, 11cm wide – 6¼ ins high, 4¼ ins wide
Understandably women of all kinds were a favourite subject for the scrimshander.
Sometimes they were drawn freelance, but it is generally accepted that the best examples of figural scrimshaw are copied from picture and print sources. These were often illustrations in a popular magazine or a frontispiece of a book. The image was transferred onto the tooth by the pinprick method. The whale-man would securely attach the picture to the tooth and with a sail needle he would puncture the image through the paper onto the ivory. Alternatively only the paper would be pricked and then pencil dots would be used to transfer the image to the tooth.
Sometimes they were drawn freelance, but it is generally accepted that the best examples of figural scrimshaw are copied from picture and print sources. These were often illustrations in a popular magazine or a frontispiece of a book. The image was transferred onto the tooth by the pinprick method. The whale-man would securely attach the picture to the tooth and with a sail needle he would puncture the image through the paper onto the ivory. Alternatively only the paper would be pricked and then pencil dots would be used to transfer the image to the tooth.
Large Sailors Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth
SOLD
