Scrimshaw, Whale's Tooth
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Object Label
One of the main sources of lighting fuel in the colonial period and well into the nineteenth century was whale oil. Consequently, hunting for whales was an important part of the economy. The long ocean voyages that characterized this enterprise afforded the sailors a great deal of free time, during which they sometimes made crafts out of unusable parts of the whale such as the teeth. In nautical slang, scrimshaw denotes any precision mechanical work.
Caption
Unknown Maker. Scrimshaw, Whale's Tooth, ca. 1830–1870. Whale's tooth, 5 5/8 x 2 1/8 in. (14.3 x 5.4 cm) mount (display dimensions): 6 × 4 × 2 5/8 in. (15.2 × 10.2 × 6.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X613.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, X613.2_view01_PS11.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Maker
Title
Scrimshaw, Whale's Tooth
Date
ca. 1830–1870
Geography
Possible place made: United States
Medium
Whale's tooth
Classification
Dimensions
5 5/8 x 2 1/8 in. (14.3 x 5.4 cm) mount (display dimensions): 6 × 4 × 2 5/8 in. (15.2 × 10.2 × 6.7 cm)
Credit Line
Brooklyn Museum Collection
Accession Number
X613.2
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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