Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth Hull on Shagreen Base.

Here we have a finely carved Srimshaw Sperm whale tooth. Here is what Hull Maritime Museum had to say as they have the second largest Scrimshaw collection in the world.

Hello Philip,

Thanks for sending through the photos. I can say is that this is a Sperm Whale tooth, and of some age given the discolouration. Some fakes and replicas are actually resin copies but they are usually a uniform, flat cream and I'm sure you'd probably be able to tell.

The ship is a sailing ship with a steam engine, of the type used in the mid-late 19th century whaling trade. I can't identify it as a whaler for certain as the decoration hasn't included the various whaling boats around its sides (some scrimshaw didn't bother with this detail). The date of 1902 is too late for any direct link to Hull's whaling trade (finishing in 1869) but it's not impossible a Hull man continued in the whaling trade elsewhere from Britain.

The following points are all I can really make:

There are two types of fake scrimshaw - the resin copies and old teeth decorated later with the intention of 'creating' an antique, which are very difficult to spot.

That the tooth is dated 1902 would indicate it is not an intentional fake (unless it is a particularly inept one) as one would want to add a more relevant earlier date, and they might also add ship names to increase the price.

Items specifically mentioning Hull are extremely rare.

The decoration is simple, and perhaps not done with the same amount of time available to traditional 'scrimshanderers'

The Hull whaling trade did not generally trade in Sperm whales, and although Sperm whales can be found in all oceans (and are even occasionally washed up in the Humber) they are generally associated with the South Atlantic and Pacific whaling trades.

it might be a piece done by a later whaler from Hull but working elsewhere or it could be an earlier piece with the inscription added later (although this doesn't look the case).

I hope that is of some use.

Regards,

So as you can see a rare and genuine piece of scrimshaw on a wonderful shagreen base. This weighs about 2.5 kilos and can be posted worldwide.

Visits by appointment only please.