Shark Vertebrae Cane, 19th Century
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
notes: label: Description
content: Scrimshaw was one form of sailors’ art, and cane making was another. This example is made from a series of carefully graduated shark vertebrae threaded over a light metal rod, with the biggest vertebrae at the top. The ferrule is wooden and the rounded wooden handle is in the shape of a simplified horse’s hoof. Near the top where the handle begins curving for the user’s handhold, there are some pieces of wood and baleen trimmed on one side to account for the curving handle. The ferrule at the bottom is cracked, and there is some evidence for repairs at a few spots along the shaft, indicating the importance of the cane to its owner(s). The length of this example suggests use by a man.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: associated place
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Scrimshaw
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Lawrence N. Ravick
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1994.0217.03
label: catalog number
content: 1994.0217.03
label: accession number
content: 1994.0217
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cane, walking
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: vertebrae, fish (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: shaft: 87.5 cm x 1.6 cm; 34 7/16 in x 5/8 in
label: Measurements
content: handle: 12.1 cm x 2.6 cm; 4 3/4 in x 1 in