Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Tooth, Mid-19th Century

Unknown artist

One side of this sperm whale tooth is completely covered by a large bouquet of batchelors’ button flowers on three stems. The leaves and stems are black, but the large flower blossoms are pink. An open frame between the stems and blooms is inscribed “SOUVENIR.” The heavily pinpricked surface indicates that the artisan pasted an illustration on the surface of the polished tooth and then pushed a pin through to outline the features. The pink color originally may have been a deeper red that has faded with age. The back side of the tooth is polished but undecorated.