Skrimshaw

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Ornamental engraving on whale teeth, bone or ivory, traditionally done by sailors on long whaling voyages ; to carve or engrave decorative designs onto such materials
2. Intricate pictures or patterns cut into whalebone or ivory, often made by seamen during idle hours at sea ; to etch or incise ornamental scenes into these natural materials
3. A piece of carved whale tooth or bone decorated by hand, a folk craft of the whaling era ; to produce such handmade engravings on animal ivory or bone

Etymology: Skrimshaw is the name for the carved or engraved decorative work that sailors made from whalebone, whale teeth, and sometimes walrus ivory, usually during long voyages. The word first appears in print in the 1840s, when it was used for the whalers' handiwork, and its origin is uncertain. The most cited suggestion links it to a dialect word, "scrimshank," meaning to shirk or idle, since sailors had time on their hands between whale sightings and the work was a way of passing time. Another theory points to a Scottish or northern English word for a small or trifling object, but the evidence for either is thin. The craft itself is far older than the word. Whalers of the late 1700s and 1800s carved scrimshaw on the bone and teeth they collected, often producing engraved scenes of ships and whaling, portraits, and patterns that were rubbed with soot or ink to show the lines. Finished pieces included busks for corsets, knife handles, and tooth-shaped mementos, many of which were traded at ports or kept as souvenirs.

Synonyms: scrimshaw, carving, engraving