Japanese Carved Sperm Whale Tooth, 19th-20th Century
date: label: date made
content: 19th-20th century
notes: label: Description
content: Although there is carving on this sperm shale tooth, it is not scrimshaw by the traditional definition. Rather, it is a deeply engraved portrait of a woman by a Japanese ivory carver. The signature characters on the back of the tooth translate as “Carved by Light Happiness.”
label: Description
content: The subject’s cape or cowl covering her head and upper body is decorated with chrysanthemums, a flower often associated with the royal family. However, her teeth are white, possibly indicating middle class origins. Fashionable upper class Japanese women had blackened teeth.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Scrimshaw
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content: Art
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Frederic Delano
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.382803
label: catalog number
content: 382803
label: accession number
content: 165206
objectType: label: Object Name
content: tooth, whale
label: Object Name
content: scrimshaw tooth, whale
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: scrimshaw (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: tooth (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 7/8 in x 3 3/8 in; 17.4625 cm x 8.5725 cm