Scrimshaw
Description
A scrimshaw sperm whale tooth featuring a scene from shore with a sailing ship at anchor. A sailor and sweetheart are shown holding hands on the other side of the tooth.
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Object detail
Subject person
Classification
Credit line
This
delicately
carved
sperm
whale
tooth
was
one
of
a
pair
given
to
Stephen
Gillingham,
a
passenger
on
the
Timandra,
by
one
of
the
crew.
The
Timandra
was
one
of
the
“first
six
ships”
of
Pākehā
settlers
to
New
Plymouth
that
arrived
on
23
February
1842.
Scrimshaw
work
like
this
was
a
common
art
among
19th-century
sailors.
Whale
and
walrus
ivory,
bone,
wood
and
shells
were
all
decorated
to
while
away
the
months
on
long
voyages.
Accession number
A91.300
Collection type
Material
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