Scrimshaw is the name given to scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. The word Scrimshaw was probably derived from a Dutch or English nautical slang expression meaning “to waste time.” Typically it refers to the handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate engravings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted using a pigment, or, less often, small sculptures made from the same material. However the latter really fall into the categories of ivory carving, for all carved teeth and tusks, or bone carving. The making of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1745 to 1759 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans.
This is one of a kind example of scrimshaw. The item belongs to that typology of objects bearing erotic scenes, that have been designed to have a reversible use. The erotic scene is therefore concealed by a reverse side, magnificently and finely executed employing an intaglio technique. This side of the object is inserted into an elegant and minimalistic frame of Neo-classical memory, that creates an interesting contrast with the formal opulence it surrounds. On the opposite side, it’s been depicted an erotic scene of great visual power, representing two lovers in a domestic scenery. The anatomic precision and the mastery in the realisation of the drapery lying behind the couple, make of this object a exquisite example of miniature.