SCRIMSHAW

Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw is the name given to scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate engravings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted using a pigment, or, less often, small sculptures made from the same material. However the latter really fall into the categories of ivory carving, for all carved teeth and tusks, or bone carving.

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scrimshaw

Noun

  1. The manufacture of handicrafts by sailors on long voyages, especially as whittled from wood or bone.
  2. An item produced by scrimshaw.

Verb

  1. To make an item of scrimshaw.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: scrimshaw
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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