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Elephant seal scrimshaw and sealing on the ‘Islands of Desolation’

Scrimshaw is the decorative craftwork which developed among men engaged in the whaling industry. There are many definitions, some narrow and parochial, others broad enough to include almost any sailors' craftwork, but any definition must include the thousands of useful and pretty things which were made afloat and ashore, many of them as presents (Flayderman 1972). Most scrimshaw is associated with the 19th century sperm whale fishery, and decorated sperm whale teeth are the commonest examples. However, baleen and pieces of whale bones were also used, and a variety of ivory tusks (mainly walrus and narwhal) sometimes with other materials which might come to hand such as wood, horn, and tropical nuts. From these were made tools and ships' fittings, walking sticks and canes, pastry cutters and staybusks, jewellery, birdcages, toys, games and many other small domestic items. Although sealing in the southern hemisphere was generally considered a subsidiary of whaling, sealing scrimshaw is rare, and only occasionally described or illustrated (see below). The scrimshaw featured here, from a private collection in Melbourne, Australia, is of particular interest as a photograph of a decorated elephant seal tooth does not appear to have been published before, though there is a small drawing of one in Matthews (1952). In addition the scrimshaw has a date and a locality, also rare features.