I acquired a rather unusual piece of folk art in 2009. It had been in a very dear friend's garden for many many years and was much loved by her. She had asked me to look after it for her on her imminent passing, as she didn't want it to be tossed out as junk, once she was gone.
At the time of receiving it, I had no idea what it was other than a rather unusual carving on some form of old bone. Probably whalebone. She, in turn, had received it from a special friend of hers who lived in South America.
Whilst I realize that many will be disturbed by the use of whalebone in this way, I must state here that I am totally against whaling, but I keep this piece of art to Honor the whales who have suffered a gruesome end.
I subsequently learned that this carving is a form of scrimshaw. Never having heard that terminology before, I took to Google to see if I could find anything more about it. The bone is very porous, grey and is cracking rather badly. I am trying to find out if there is a way of restoring this piece before there is more damage. To date I have not found anything useful.
Scrimshaw are pieces of folk art that were created by sailors working on the whaling ships. They used the bones or teeth of the whales to create their craft work. These folk operated off the coast of New England between 1745 and 1759, until commercial whaling was banned in 1986.
I wonder if it was carved by a sailor on one of the many whaling ships in decades gone by.
Whilst I realize that many will be disturbed by the use of whalebone in this way, I must state here that I am totally against whaling, but I keep this piece of art to Honor the whales who have suffered a gruesome end.
I subsequently learned that this carving is a form of scrimshaw. Never having heard that terminology before, I took to Google to see if I could find anything more about it. The bone is very porous, grey and is cracking rather badly. I am trying to find out if there is a way of restoring this piece before there is more damage. To date I have not found anything useful.
Scrimshaw are pieces of folk art that were created by sailors working on the whaling ships. They used the bones or teeth of the whales to create their craft work. These folk operated off the coast of New England between 1745 and 1759, until commercial whaling was banned in 1986.
A conservator I spoke with suggested that I soak the piece in baby oil. My gut feeling was that this is not the right thing to do for this particular piece. I have read that baby oil is used in the restoration of Scrimshaw made from walrus tusks or the whalebone teeth. This piece is a very porous and rough piece of bone, very different from the smooth finish of the teeth and tusks which were also used.
I imagine it would have been carved from a whalebone shoulder, well before 1986.
On the bottom section of this Scrimshaw, it shows a rather prominent and interesting face. If you look closely, can you see there is another little face carved at the bottom right hand side of the piece.
On the top half of the Scrimshaw, there is a man in a crouching position with a bow in his left hand and an arrow in his right hand. He also has an unusual headdress which looks like it is made from long strips of grass which form a type of crown on his head.
Below is a photo of the complete piece taken on my veranda. I moved it into my house several years ago to protect it from further deterioration from the elements. It stands about a half meter high and about 20 cm wide. It is really a stunning piece of work and I would love to know it's origins and how best to go about the restoration process.
If you have any ideas which you could pass on to me about its restoration, I would love to hear from you. Should I put a finish on the outer bone to protect it, or would that do more damage to the carving?
There are a few cracks about 1 mm wide that concern me. I am thinking it maybe best to leave them as is, rather than try to fill them with some kind of putty or glue as was suggested by one archaeologist. I am concerned this could cause more damage in the long run and ruin this wonderful piece of art.
I wonder if it was carved by a sailor on one of the many whaling ships in decades gone by.
Is it of Inuit Origin or is it possibly from North American, Australia or New Zealand?
Does it indicate an encounter with some new people that the carver had never seen before?
Does it indicate an encounter with some new people that the carver had never seen before?
It is a relief carving, not like the majority of scrimshaw which I see are etched.
The face on the bottom half is very striking to me.
The archaeologists and rock art specialists I consulted with at WITS University differ in their opinions as to whether it is African piece of art or not. I had a vision of it being a Viking Warrior. Another archaeologist mentioned to me that the wide, flat nose was not likely the feature of a Viking Warrior.
If this piece of art could talk, I am sure it would have an incredibly interesting story to tell!
If you are able to throw any light on this delightful piece of work and help me with ideas of restoration, I would be delighted to hear from you. I can be contacted on floratoadfoot@gmail.com
The archaeologists and rock art specialists I consulted with at WITS University differ in their opinions as to whether it is African piece of art or not. I had a vision of it being a Viking Warrior. Another archaeologist mentioned to me that the wide, flat nose was not likely the feature of a Viking Warrior.
If this piece of art could talk, I am sure it would have an incredibly interesting story to tell!
If you are able to throw any light on this delightful piece of work and help me with ideas of restoration, I would be delighted to hear from you. I can be contacted on floratoadfoot@gmail.com
