The origin of the word "scrimshaw" is somewhat obscure, but
many scholars agree that it probably came from a Dutch word
which means "a waste of time." Today that word is used to
identify etching or carving of ivory or bone and is recognized
as an American folk art.
Sailors of the early 1800's set out from the eastern coast of
the United States aboard whaling vessels. These men hunted in
the Atlantic Ocean and, later, in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans
for whales. At that time, whales were hunted for their oil,
known to burn cleanly, brightly and efficiently. The ivory of
toothed whales was not, therefore, the main purpose for these
hunts. Much of the ivory from that era was simply thrown
overboard as scrap.
Extended voyages could keep a sailor away from home for
three to five years, with very little to do between whale
sightings. Life on board ship quickly became boring. To keep
busy, sailors began to scratch images of their ship, whales, or
even faraway places onto the only material they had available:
the ivory whale's teeth.
Thus, scrimshaw began as a way for sailors to "waste time."
The whalers took their art to many of the places they visited,
most notably Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.
Scrimshaw reached a peak between 1840 and 1860. The Civil
War impacted the whaling industry as great numbers of the
whalers chose to stay in port, or enlist in the war. Whaling
increased again after the war's end, but not to the degree it
had in earlier years. By the beginning of the 1900, electricity
replaced the need for oil. The U.S. whaling industry came to an
end, with scrimshaw nearly vanishing.
As sailors scrimmed on board their ships, mountainmen and
explorers made their way across the vast, unexplored American
wilderness. They, too, etched records of what they saw on the
only available materials, often on blank space of their
powderhorns, creating a form of scrimshaw.
In 1974 The United States Congress enacted the "Endangered
Marine Mammal Species Act" to protect whales from extinction.
Whale hunting is now illegal, protecting these endangered
animals. We applaud this environmental effort, as the U.S.
government asks other countries to do the same.
In 1989, Congress again moved to protect elephants with the
passage of the "Protected Species Act" in much the same way as
whales are protected. The world is not the same as it was in
1840 and we are keenly aware that we must protect
ivory-bearing animals. These laws help to insure that such
animals may increase and survive in years to come.
The folk art of scrimshaw can, however, be kept alive by using
alternative materials. Old ivory items can be recycled and
reused. Mastadon (fossilized ivory from prehistoric elephants)
offers a beautiful surface for scrimshaw. Deer, elk and other
antlered animals shed their antlers each year which prove to
be a good substitute. Cow bone, likewise, can be polished and
prepared for scrimshaw work. Some manmade materials can
also be used.
many scholars agree that it probably came from a Dutch word
which means "a waste of time." Today that word is used to
identify etching or carving of ivory or bone and is recognized
as an American folk art.
Sailors of the early 1800's set out from the eastern coast of
the United States aboard whaling vessels. These men hunted in
the Atlantic Ocean and, later, in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans
for whales. At that time, whales were hunted for their oil,
known to burn cleanly, brightly and efficiently. The ivory of
toothed whales was not, therefore, the main purpose for these
hunts. Much of the ivory from that era was simply thrown
overboard as scrap.
Extended voyages could keep a sailor away from home for
three to five years, with very little to do between whale
sightings. Life on board ship quickly became boring. To keep
busy, sailors began to scratch images of their ship, whales, or
even faraway places onto the only material they had available:
the ivory whale's teeth.
Thus, scrimshaw began as a way for sailors to "waste time."
The whalers took their art to many of the places they visited,
most notably Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands.
Scrimshaw reached a peak between 1840 and 1860. The Civil
War impacted the whaling industry as great numbers of the
whalers chose to stay in port, or enlist in the war. Whaling
increased again after the war's end, but not to the degree it
had in earlier years. By the beginning of the 1900, electricity
replaced the need for oil. The U.S. whaling industry came to an
end, with scrimshaw nearly vanishing.
As sailors scrimmed on board their ships, mountainmen and
explorers made their way across the vast, unexplored American
wilderness. They, too, etched records of what they saw on the
only available materials, often on blank space of their
powderhorns, creating a form of scrimshaw.
In 1974 The United States Congress enacted the "Endangered
Marine Mammal Species Act" to protect whales from extinction.
Whale hunting is now illegal, protecting these endangered
animals. We applaud this environmental effort, as the U.S.
government asks other countries to do the same.
In 1989, Congress again moved to protect elephants with the
passage of the "Protected Species Act" in much the same way as
whales are protected. The world is not the same as it was in
1840 and we are keenly aware that we must protect
ivory-bearing animals. These laws help to insure that such
animals may increase and survive in years to come.
The folk art of scrimshaw can, however, be kept alive by using
alternative materials. Old ivory items can be recycled and
reused. Mastadon (fossilized ivory from prehistoric elephants)
offers a beautiful surface for scrimshaw. Deer, elk and other
antlered animals shed their antlers each year which prove to
be a good substitute. Cow bone, likewise, can be polished and
prepared for scrimshaw work. Some manmade materials can
also be used.
| History of Scrimshaw info@stonehollowstudio.com |
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