An English Sailor’s Scrimshaw Turned and Carved Whalebone Walking Cane
An English Sailor’s Scrimshaw Turned and Carved Whalebone Walking Cane the knop forming a clenched ‘Friendship Fist’
Mid 19th Century
Size: 85.5cm long - 33¾ ins long
Mid 19th Century
Size: 85.5cm long - 33¾ ins long
An English Sailor’s Scrimshaw Turned and Carved Whalebone Walking Cane the knop forming a clenched ‘Friendship Fist’
Mid 19th Century
Size: 85.5cm long - 33¾ ins long
Mid 19th Century
Size: 85.5cm long - 33¾ ins long
Made on board whaling ships during their long sea voyages, sailors mostly made walking canes to sell on their return to their home port to augment their ‘share’. The time spent scrimshawing did not affect their wages as a peculiar form of payment had been established in the whaling industry in that whalers were not paid a regular salary. Instead their pay was based on a pre-set share in the profits. This was called a ‘lay’ and varied from quite a large portion for the captain to almost miniscule shares for a greenhand or inexperienced seaman.
An English Sailor’s Scrimshaw Turned and Carved Whalebone Walking Cane
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