Whale tooth
A sperm whale's tooth carved in high relief with a figure in classical drapes holding a scroll with its left arm resting on a column. The carving is within an elliptical laurel wreath. The base of the tooth is cut level. Formerly the property of Captain William Tolley Brookes (1791-1874), master of the whale ship 'Active' in the 1830s. This type of sailor's craftwork is known as scrimshaw.
Object Details
ID: | AAA0018 |
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Collection: | Decorative art |
Type: | Whale tooth |
Display location: | Not on display |
Creator: | Unknown |
Date made: | circa 1835 |
People: | Brookes, William Tolley |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
Measurements: | 39 x 140 x 51 mm |