Scrimshaw was one form of sailors’ art, and cane making was another. This example is made from a series of carefully graduated shark vertebrae threaded over a heavy metal rod, with the biggest vertebrae at the top. The ferrule is silver and the handle is made of carved bone in the shape of an inverted letter “L”, with hash marks cut into the surface to prevent slipping. A thin iron or steel ring separates the handle from the highest vertebra. This would have been an extraordinary conversation piece in the hands of an old or handicapped 19th century sailing ship crewman.
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