scrimshaw
Whale ivory engravings
Scrimshaw is the folk art of carving or engraving on whale ivory, bone, or baleen—traditionally practiced by sailors on long whaling voyages.
The word covers both the craft and the objects produced: a collection of antique scrimshaw, scrimshaw depicting ships and sea creatures.
As a verb, to scrimshaw is to create such work.
Barbed spear for whales
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- spermacetiWhale-derived waxy substance
- ambergrisWhale-produced perfume fixative
- flensingRemoving whale fat
whaleboat · Nantucket · Melville · Ahab · Pequod · leviathan · baleen · whaleship
Cetacean hunting vessel
- sailorSeafaring crew member
- seafarerOne who navigates oceans
- voyageJourney by sea
- shipSeagoing transport vessel
maritime · seaman · deckhand · galley · forecastle · watch · shore leave · port
Acid-incised metal print
- engravingCarving into hard surfaces
- incisingCutting into material
- stipplingDot-based shading technique
- crosshatchingIntersecting parallel lines for tone
intaglio · sgraffito · burin · stylus · needle · scratching · linework · shading
Seagoing transport vessel
- whaleHuge sea mammal
- mermaidFish-tailed ocean woman
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- roseStood up, or fragrant bloom
eagle · flag · portrait · sweetheart · homesick · sailor · nameplate · dedication
Keratin plates from filter-feeders
- ivoryTusk-derived material
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- hornPointed animal headgear
- antlerDeer's bony headgear
shell · coconut · substitute · synthetic · resin · polymer · faux · organic
Tusk-derived material
- banOfficial restriction on something
- CITESWildlife trade agreement
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
conservation · illegal · trade · smuggling · confiscated · synthetic · alternative · faux
Created manually, not mechanically
- folkRegular common people
- naiveInnocently unsuspecting
- primitiveIn earliest form
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
occupational · maritime · tradition · heritage · homemade · pastime · boredom · voyage
Old valued collectible
- vintageQuality from past eras
- VictorianOf a prim era
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- curioOdd collectible item
heirloom · relic · provenance · authentication · forgery · reproduction · auction · estate
harpoon
Barbed spear for whales
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- spermacetiWhale-derived waxy substance
- ambergrisWhale-produced perfume fixative
flensing · whaleboat · Nantucket · Melville · Ahab · Pequod · leviathan · baleen · whaleship · hunt
whaler
Cetacean hunting vessel
ship · maritime · seaman · deckhand · galley · forecastle · watch · shore leave · port · longboat
etching
Acid-incised metal print
- engravingCarving into hard surfaces
- incisingCutting into material
- stipplingDot-based shading technique
crosshatching · intaglio · sgraffito · burin · stylus · needle · scratching · linework · shading · polishing
ship
Seagoing transport vessel
rose · eagle · flag · portrait · sweetheart · homesick · sailor · nameplate · dedication · verse
whalebone
Keratin plates from filter-feeders
antler · shell · coconut · substitute · synthetic · resin · polymer · faux · organic · natural
ivory
Tusk-derived material
- banOfficial restriction on something
- CITESWildlife trade agreement
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
poaching · conservation · illegal · trade · smuggling · confiscated · synthetic · alternative · faux · legal
handmade
Created manually, not mechanically
vernacular · occupational · maritime · tradition · heritage · homemade · pastime · boredom · voyage · keepsake
antique
Old valued collectible
curio · heirloom · relic · provenance · authentication · forgery · reproduction · auction · estate · museum
- AlaskaFairbanks, Juneau, Denali, Sitka, Kodiak
- maritime historysailors, ships, seamen, sailing ships, celestial navigation
- seafaringship, sailors, ships, sail, sailor
- World ArtsAfrican art, Asian art, European art, Indian art, Japanese art
- artisan craftshandmade goods, fine jewelry, artisan crafts, handcrafted furniture, watchmaking
- carvingcarve, carved, whittle, whittled, chisel
scrimshawtattooing
Injecting pigment under skin
oil painting · watercolor · digital art · sculpture · glassblowing
scrimshawtattooing
Injecting pigment under skin
woodcarving · metalwork · stone carving · glasswork · leatherwork