Above: Circa 1880 oil painting depicts New England
whalers hunting sperm whale in Antarctica. Top:
An extensive collection of New England scrimshaw
includes decorative and functional pieces.
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WBM january 2013
Making way
for the display of more antiquities, a
chase located along the living room’s
interior wall allowed the addition of
French doors leading into the entrance
hall. This underutilized space allows the
housing for the collection of scrimshaw
made from whale teeth and bones.
Out at sea, when whalers were bored
they whittled and engraved keepsakes
called scrimshaw for their wives and
children. This display includes a child’s
teething ring and ball, clothespins,
corkscrews, a comb, a toy spinning
wheel, a yarn caddy, rolling pin, pie
dough crimper and a device that strapped
