Scrimshaw Whale Bone Food Chopper
- Description
- Simply carved and without any engraving, this food chopper, or mincer, was made in two pieces from a sperm whale’s jawbone. Its blunted, curved blade was used to chop soft foods such as bread dough, fruits, sausage, and animal fats. This example was donated by former Secretary of the Institution Spencer F. Baird (1823–1887) to the Smithsonian, where it became one of the earliest objects in the maritime collections.
- date made
- 1800s
- purchased
- 1876-11-30
- Physical Description
- sperm-whale's jaw (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 7 1/4 in x 5 5/8 in x 1 in; 18.415 cm x 14.2875 cm x 2.54 cm
- ID Number
- AG.024909
- catalog number
- 24909
- accession number
- 2009.0157
- subject
- Fishing
- related event
- Expansion and Reform
- Civil War and Reconstruction
- The Development of the Industrial United States
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Fisheries
- Work
- Cultures & Communities
- Industry & Manufacturing
- Art
- Natural Resources
- Food
- Transportation
- Exhibition
- On the Water
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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