# The Fading Art of American Scrimshaw: Whale Tooth Engraving in Modern Times
The ancient craft of scrimshaw, the engraving of detailed images onto whale teeth and bone, persists as one of America's most controversial and endangered art forms. Master scrimshander Thomas Nickerson carries forward a tradition born during the golden age of American whaling, when sailors carved intricate designs into whale teeth during long ocean voyages.
Scrimshaw emerged in the late 1700s aboard whaling vessels sailing from New England ports like New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Nantucket. Whalers created miniature sculptures and engravings depicting ships, sea creatures, navigation instruments, and domestic scenes. The craft represented both artistic expression and a practical use of materials readily available on whaling ships. Sailors transformed whale teeth into jewelry, handles, and decorative objects that commanded premium prices in ports worldwide.
Today, Nickerson stands among fewer than a dozen active scrimshanders practicing the traditional craft in the United States. The decline reflects seismic shifts in global attitudes toward marine conservation and animal welfare. International whaling bans enacted through the International Whaling Commission have largely halted commercial whaling operations. Contemporary scrimshanders work exclusively with pre-ban teeth and bones salvaged from historical collections or acquired through legal channels before protection laws took effect.
The legal landscape creates complex challenges. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments prohibit the importation and sale of new marine mammal materials in the United States. While antique scrimshaw pieces created before commercial whaling moratoriums retain legal status, artists like Nickerson face scrutiny and misunderstanding. Museums including the Whaling Museum in New Bedford preserve historic scrimshaw as cultural artifacts documenting American maritime heritage and sailor ingenuity.
Nickerson describes the transformation bluntly. "Back then, everyone was a scrimshander. Now I'm one of the last." His statement captures the profession's dramatic contraction. What once represented common maritime culture has evolved into a niche artistic practice shadowed by conservation concerns.
The craft demands extraordinary skill. Scrimshanders use traditional hand tools, including dental burrs and bone picks, to incise designs into aged whale teeth. The work requires steady hands, artistic vision, and intimate knowledge of materials. Creating a single piece demands weeks or months of meticulous labor. Contemporary scrimshanders invest years learning techniques passed down through generations.
Tourism brings visitors to New Bedford and other New England whaling heritage sites where scrimshaw appears in museum collections and historical exhibits. These destinations market maritime history and sailor culture to international travelers seeking authentic American experiences. Hotels like the Fairfield Inn and Suites New Bedford position themselves near museum attractions. Regional tourism boards promote New England whaling heritage as cultural tourism.
The tension between artistic tradition and conservation ethics shapes the craft's future. Scrimshanders argue that creating art from pre-ban materials preserves cultural heritage and maintains historical knowledge. Conservationists counter that continuing the practice, even with old materials, perpetuates cultural acceptance of whale exploitation.
Nickerson's work embodies this contradiction. His pieces command respect for technical mastery and historical authenticity, yet the practice remains complicated by its origins in an industry now broadly recognized as environmentally destructive. As fewer practitioners continue scrimshaw, the craft approaches potential extinction as a living tradition, existing primarily through museum pieces and the dwindling work of artists like Nickerson who maintain connection to America's whaling past.