Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, 20th Century
Scrimshaw Sperm Whale Tooth, 20th Century
- Description
- The obverse of this large sperm whale tooth has a freehand etching with an imaginary 10-gun warship, framed by a rope motif. A fluttering pennant below is inscribed "KING NEPTUNE". The top of the tooth is inscribed "WILLIAM•CULLIMORE•N•Y•1842", and the reverse is a rope-framed image of a seated and crowned King Neptune with a trident in his left hand.
- This tooth is probably a reference to the Neptune ceremony inflicted upon the crew and passengers of ships the first time they crossed the equator. King Neptune would emerge from a cabin or the sea and administer some form of mild hazing on the first timers, as a way of passing time and entertaining the veteran sailors aboard the ship.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 20th century
- Physical Description
- whale tooth (overall material)
- ivory (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 6 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in x 2 1/4 in; 16.51 cm x 8.89 cm x 5.715 cm
- ID Number
- 1978.0052.16
- accession number
- 1978.0052
- catalog number
- 1978.52.16
- Credit Line
- Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Wilbur J. Gould
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Maritime
- Cultures & Communities
- Art
- Transportation
- Scrimshaw
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
