Scrimshaw refers to the art of carving engravings made by whalers on products derived from various marine mammals. These engravings are primarily done on the bones and teeth of sperm whales or the baleen plates of baleen whales, as well as on the tusks of walruses or narwhals. This art is probably of Inuit origin, but it truly came into its own in the Azores during the era of sperm whale hunting.
Indeed, this art, very popular on the islands of the Azores, was originally a hobby and a pastime for Azorean whale hunters during long sea voyages and the many moments of waiting.
This art consisted of engraving sperm whale ivory teeth, most often depicting fishing scenes, harpooning, or portraits. The tooth was then coated with India ink and polished. Thus, only the engraved design remained "inked."

Nowadays, the ivory trade is highly regulated and the few artists who continue to perpetuate this craft work with "vegetable ivory" (albumen from the ivory palm found mainly in the Amazon rainforest). In our case, we make it a point of honor to recycle old ivory.

Scrimshaw is possible on other materials such as bone