WORLD CULTURES : AUSTRALASIA
- Title
- King George III
- Object Name
- SCRIMSHAW TOOTH
- Date Made
-
late 18th / early 19th century
late 18th / early 19th century - Place Made
-
Australia
Australia - Description
- This is one of a pair of whale scrimshaw teeth, each featuring a full-length portrait of King George III (r. 1760–1820), depicted holding a crown and sceptre. The illustration of the King seems to be based on a print by Metz after Heath dated 15 Marth 1783, which was published by J. Cooke in Raymond’s History of England. If the portraits are contemporary with George III these would be of very early date for sperm whale scrimshaw. On the reverse side of George’s portrait is a drawing of a man gazing at a woman lying on her side, holding a baby, with the inscription I found her pale and without strength at the side of the spring and Cain my first born lying on her bosom. Such Biblical references are unusual. Scrimshaw was a favourite pastime of British and American Whalers. The man who did such carvings was called a scrimshander. Some practitioners signed their work with their initials. The design was usually inscribed with a sail needle and then darkened by rubbing in a mixture of oil and lampblack. The teeth and jawbones of the sperm whale were the most commonly used materials, but walrus and narwhal tusks, porpoise jaws, and baleen from the mouths of bowhead, right, humpback, and grey whales were also used.
- Catalogue Number
- BELUM.C5014.B
- Notes
- National Museums NI
National Museums NI holds over a million objects in the collection, as well as this we manage the records and associated images for each object through a working database. The national collection has been almost 200 years in the making, and we recognise that thinking about collecting and collections has evolved over this time and continues to evolve. As a result, some of our records may contain language and views that we now consider offensive and unacceptable, for example, reflecting racist attitudes. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to reviewing and updating our records accordingly. Working with researchers, communities and academic partners we are learning more about the stories behind objects, and we are committed to sharing these with our audiences. We welcome feedback. Please email [email protected]