Scrimshaw
 

What is that?

Its a real and true American art form. Tied up with the whaling industry a couple of hundred years ago.

When the whalers went to sea, they stayed out there for many months. Often they were just waiting for days for something to happen. This time was used to do Scrimshanding.

They took the whale teeth, polished them, scratched small motives into them, and filled the tiny cracks with a mixture of soot and fat. this way the motive became visible... they used them as presents to their loved once when they finally got home.

Today, people are still doing scrimshanding, amazing small miniatures made on ivory.... yes, yes.. I know.. the Washington convention, you are not allowed to use ivory for manufacturing anything.... but its not quite so... if you can prove that the ivory is ancient, then you are allowed to use it. But how can you prove that it is ancient... well if the ivory is fossilized, then its old enough. But how do you get hold of fossilized ivory... it must be expensive... Yes, its expensive and rare, and so is the scrimshaw.

One day, when I was sitting at my small stand at the local Saturday market, an man of Indian origin came to me...

More later...