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The improbable view to which I am witness, bears proof that man's compulsion to dream is the driving factor in new discoveries.
Scrimshaw carving
- Anonymous
- 1970-1980, 20th century
- 30 x 13 x 8.1 cm
- Lent by Mrs. Claudia Ferguson
- MEL983.163.234.1-2
- McCord Museum
A decorative object, this carved walrus tusk has on one side an image of the traditional seal hunt among the Inuit people, and on the other side, native animals of the Arctic.
WHAT
The decoration on this tusk is called scrimshaw. It is made by carving a design and then rubbing ink or pigment into the grooves.
WHERE
The walrus tusk comes from the Arctic. At the tip is a carving of a polar bear.
WHEN
The technique of scrimshaw was first used by European whalers, who taught it to the Inuit, possibly in the 19th century.
WHO
Recently carved by an Inuit craftsman, this object was made to be sold as a souvenir.
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