Sperm Whale Tooth Napkin Ring, 20th Century
date: label: date made
content: 20th century
notes: label: Description
content: The lower diameter of an average-sized sperm whale tooth makes it a perfect candidate for a napkin ring. This example was sliced off the bottom of a tooth, hollowed out and then polished inside and out.
label: Description
content: The upper side is carved with a Pacific Northwest Indian totem pole decorated with a vertical stack of four creatures. It stands at one corner of a low log walled precinct, to the right of which is a tree. The subject, uniform depth of the carving and overall style indicate a 20th century date.
label: Description
content: Totem poles were carved tree trunks (usually Western cedar) smoothed and carved by several different native North American tribes in the Pacific Northwest (Canada and Washington coast).
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: Dr. Lucinda de L. Templin
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.1726
label: catalog number
content: 60.1726
label: accession number
content: 200122
objectType: label: Object Name
content: napkin ring?
label: Object Name
content: scrimshaw, napkin ring
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tooth, whale (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: scrimshaw (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 1 5/8 in; 5.08 cm x 4.1275 cm