Cool Finds: Contemporary Scrimshaw

Note: These pieces were all carved on goat horn and are not considered scrimshaw by its traditional definition.

Scrimshaw is the art of carving or etching bone or ivory. While its origin is likely from prehistory when ancient peoples would carve and decorate bone for tools, it is most commonly attributed to 18th- and 19th-century whalers and sailors, and the first dated piece of scrimshaw is from 1817. Whalebone was typically the medium of choice as it was plentiful aboard the ship.

The types of scrimshaw varied from designs etched into bone to 3D sculpted elements carved out of the bone. Scrimshanders would carve into the bone using knives and sailing needles, then fill the etchings with soot, ink, or other pigments to help the design stand out. The designs could range from nautical themes and patterns to portraits and messages. 

In the mid-late 19th century, the ability to create crude oil from petroleum and an increasing amount of regulations led to the decline of the whaling industry and subsequently, scrimshaw. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 put a damper on the creation and trade of scrimshaw, but poachers still continue to illegally source ivory. The regulations placed on illegally sourced ivory and scrimshaw slowed down the market and greatly decreased its value, keeping the value of pre-banned pieces and those made of approved materials steady.

Fortunately, the art of scrimshaw is not lost. As tribute to its historical and artistic value, many scrimshanders continue the practice, but they take care to utilize alternative materials, such as fossilized ivory, animal bones, or synthetic substitutes in order to continue preserving protected wildlife. As mentioned in the note above, these pieces were created in Thailand from goat horn and technically do not qualify as traditional scrimshaw, but they are still a pretty cool find and appeared to be created with some borrowed scrimshaw techniques.