Posted by: richardearl | June 25, 2009

Scrimshaw Collectors’ Weekend 2009

Pair of sperm whale teeth with portraits of women

Pair of sperm whale teeth with portraits of women

Scrimshaw Collection in Warren, Rhode Island

Attendees of the 2009 Scrimshaw Collectors’ Weekend at the New Bedford Whaling Museum participated in a field trip to the Charles Whipple Greene Museum located in Warren, Rhode Island, to view the museum’s collection of scrimshaw. Although the collection is small, there are a number of very fine examples of mid-19th-century scrimshaw.

The whaling industry was economically important in the state of Rhode Island in the 19th century, and the town of Warren boasted the largest fleet. From 1821 to 1861, 49 different vessels sailed out of Warren on whaling voyages.

See complete set of photos below …

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Responses

  1. Hi Everybody
    For members living outside of the States (Ausralia in my case) this is a great initative allowing us to see some of the weekend highlights as well as keeping up with what is happening at the museum.
    Regards
    Trevor & Gabrielle Cross

    By: Trevor Cross on June 27, 2009
    at 5:27 am

    Reply

  2. I HAVE AWHALES TOOTH,6INCHES LONG WITH A PORTRAIT OF A MAN NAMED WARREN ON IT,ALONG WITH A MR. ELLSWORTH ON ONE SIDE.ON THE OTHER SIDE DEPICTS A SHIP CALLED SUDSBURY WITH AMERICA FLAGS.DATED 1820

    By: RICHARD LOZIER on July 12, 2009
    at 9:58 pm

    Reply

    • Richard,

      Your scrimshaw sounds interesting. High-resolution, close-up JPG photos or JPG scans of your tooth would be most helpful before opinions could be offered.

      Please consider e-mailing JPGs to the NBWM, and also to me at ScrimCollector@aol.com.

      Douglass Moody
      Member, NBWM

      By: Douglass Moody on July 13, 2009
      at 9:17 pm

      Reply

  3. I have a scrimshaw, 6 inches long with river steamboat scene on one side and and a scene with an African American family on a rooftop in a flood on the other. There is writing on the log on one side, but I can’t make out what it says. It has been examined by a Maritime museum here in Australia and has been determined to be authentic. Does you know of it’s history or value?

    By: barry sanders on January 30, 2010
    at 12:05 pm

    Reply

    • Richard – WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, your item is a resin “reproduction”, known among collectors as “Fakeshaw”. In your case, the term reproduction only means mass-produced, as no original scrimshaw was copied. The designs were created by the Juratone cheif mold-maker John Adams, most likely copied from printed material.

      Cite this source by Stuart M. Frank, Curator of the Kendall Collection, New Bedford Whaling Museum. (See: http://www.whalingmuseum.org/library/index_KI.html) Fakeshaw: A Checklist of Plastic Scrimshaw. Kendall Whaling Museum Monograph Series, Nº1, 1988, 3rd Revised Edition, 11 illus., 300 items, ©2001.
      Page 10
      #38a
      GREAT FLOOD (Plantation Scene) Tooth, 8-in (20.3-cm).
      Juratone 124 TH. NO TEXT
      Obv: Nine black men, women, and children standing and sitting on a rooftop, with two men fending off floating debris, surrounded by flood waters and drooping trees. Rev: Swollen river waters; small boat with three passengers in foreground, farmhouse on bank, stern-wheeler steamboat in center.
      #38b
      GREAT FLOOD (Plantation Scene) Tooth, 5.5-in (14-cm)
      Grooveport SJ29.

      By: Douglass Moody on January 30, 2010
      at 7:40 pm

      Reply

    • Richard – An illustrated article to help you discern authentic from fake: http://www.scrimshawcollectors.com/AuthenticFakeshaw1.html

      Douglass

      By: Douglass Moody on January 30, 2010
      at 7:47 pm

      Reply

  4. Hi – I have a small carved white horse that appears to be carved from ivory or bone and it is in a rearing position with a black wood base. It has a sideways “8″ on its side in a lighter shade – is this a trademark – have you seen something like this before? Any help would be appreciated. Horse is 3 1/4″ tall and base is 3 1/2″ long by 1 1/2″ high. Thanks

    By: Charolette McDonald on February 17, 2010
    at 2:50 pm

    Reply

  5. My name is Brittany Pipitone, I have two pieces of scrimshaw I am looking to sell. The first is over 900 years old, it was carved as an ice axe out of a walrus tusk, then someone painted a ship and some dolphins on it. The artist is Salman Rashioi and the base is rosewood. This piece of scrimshaw is 11.5″ long, and 17.82 oz.

    The second piece is a whale’s tooth, and the front has an eagle’s head painted on it by the famous artist M. Stothart, it is 4.25″ long and 3.70 in., also another great piece. Let me know if you have any more questions, want pictures, or are interested or know anyone interested in either piece. Thanks for your time!!!

    By: Brittany Pipitone on May 4, 2010
    at 1:35 am

    Reply


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