Although there is carving on this sperm shale tooth, it is not scrimshaw by the traditional definition. Rather, it is a deeply engraved portrait of a woman by a Japanese ivory carver. The signature characters on the back of the tooth translate as “Carved by Light Happiness.”
The subject’s cape or cowl covering her head and upper body is decorated with chrysanthemums, a flower often associated with the royal family. However, her teeth are white, possibly indicating middle class origins. Fashionable upper class Japanese women had blackened teeth.
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