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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |