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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