Scrimshaw Sperm Whale’s Tooth
notes: label: Description
content: This carved sperm whale tooth is only engraved on one side, but it has an unusual subject. Instead of the more common full-rigged sailing ship, this tooth depicts a steamboat in profile moving from left to right. Below the vessel is engraved the legend “STEAMER RIGHT ARM”, which identifies the vessel as the wrecking tugboat <i>RIGHT ARM.</i> Measuring 135 ft. in length by 26.5 ft. beam (width), the ship was purpose built in New England in the early 1890s as a wrecker, or salvage vessel. These uncommon vessels helped to refloat grounded or stranded ships, or recovered useful parts from a ship that was wrecked. The forward deckhouse contained a powerful steam windlass and several tons of 2-in. chain, and the pumps were so strong that the ship could pump coal--as well as water--from damaged ships. The <i>RIGHT ARM</i> had the capability to support divers as well, with dive gear, air compressors and special equipment.
label: Description
content: The <i>RIGHT ARM</i> is best known as the salvage ship for the infamous wreck of the American warship USS <i>MAINE</i> in Havana harbor, Cuba, an early event in the Spanish-American War. The <i>RIGHT ARM</i> recovered some of the <i>MAINE’s</i> artillery; the ship’s safe containing ca. $25,000; valuable chalices from the chaplain’s stateroom, and sailors’ bodies from the colossal explosion on 15 February 1898 that sank the warship.
label: Description
content: Although this tooth was not carved by a whaler during the classical Age of Sail, it still represents the latter-day art of scrimshaw through its style, material and treatment.
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: Transportation
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content: Art
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Eleanor and Mabel Van Alstyne American Folk Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.65.1135
label: catalog number
content: 65.1135
label: accession number
content: 256396
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: Measurements
content: overall: 7 in x 2 1/2 in x 1 in; 17.78 cm x 6.35 cm x 2.54 cm