Susan of Nantucket Scimshaw
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Description
Scrimshaw – the art of incising decorative motifs onto ivory – began on whaling ships in the Pacific Ocean between 1745 and 1759.
Full description »Scrimshaw – the art of incising decorative motifs onto ivory – began on whaling ships in the Pacific Ocean between 1745 and 1759. It quickly became a popular pastime for whalers to help ease the boredom of long voyages.
Frederick Myrick is one of the most well known scrimshanders, probably because he was one of the few to sign and date his work. During his second whaling voyage aboard the Susan of Nantucket – from 1826 to 1829 – he produced 36 pieces of scrimshaw, 30 of which depict the Susan.
'Each piece [by Myrick] is a work of art with fine engraving and is unique, decorated with complex variations on a series of common themes. His ships and their rigging are so well depicted that some early nineteenth-century features are visible for the first time.' Janet West, Emerita Associate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Object Name
Dated
1829
Period
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Materials
Technique
Production place
Collection
Dimensions
7.3x15.2cm
Object number
1961.185
