Scrimshaw Corn Husker-shredder

Object/Artifact

-

Historical Collection at the George Hail Free Library

Name/Title

Scrimshaw Corn Husker-shredder

Entry/Object ID

2026.04.01.05

Description

A corn husker made from whale tooth in a form common to the era

Context

Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone, ivory, or whale products such as teeth and baleen. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate engravings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted using a pigment, or, less often, small sculptures made from the same material. (Some content from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrimshaw)

Made/Created

Time Period

19th Century

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Scraper, Corn

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Tool, Food Cutting

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Food Preparation Equipment

Nomenclature Class

Food Processing & Preparation T&E

Nomenclature Category

Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials

Getty AAT

Concept

scrimshaws

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Corn husking

Dimensions

Length

2-3/4 in

Material

whale tooth, Leather

Location

Location

Cabinet

Display Case 6

Room

Charles Whipple Greene Historical Collection

Building

George Hail Free Library

Date

April 1, 2025

Exhibition

Scrimshaw

Create Date

April 1, 2025

Update Date

July 17, 2025