Description: Compass rose engraved on bottom of the whale and elephant ivory handle. Blade folds into the handle. Brass pins and caps hold the handle pieces together.

History: 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 category of ivory carving, for all carved teeth and tusks, or bone carving. The making of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1745 to 1759 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans. A maker of scrimshaw is known as a scrimshander. The word first appeared in print in the early 19th century, but the etymology is uncertain.

Provenance: N/A

Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 0.25 | Height(in) = 3.25 | Width(in) = 0.5 | Depth(in) = 0.25

Size of Artwork(in): 3.25 x 0.5 x 0.25

Artist Name: Unknown

Medium: Ivory, Steel

Circa: C. 1830

Patination of the ivory, minor scratches to the bottom of the handle, beneath the pin, approx. 1/8 inch.