How to Care for Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw is the art of carving on the teeth and bones of whales or other marine mammals. Once the design was carved, the artist would carefully paint India ink into the crevices of the design. The art carved upon these objects told stories of the sea, biblical tales or commemorated moments in time. This century -ld artistic practice isn't looked upon favorably anymore, since most of the marine animals used to make scrimshaw objects are now endangered. Even though it is out of fashion, you can still collect antique scrimshaw. You must care for these artifacts so that they are well preserved and can continue to illustrate our history for generations to come.

Things You'll Need

• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball
• Beeswax
• Clean cotton cloth

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Apply rubbing alcohol to the cotton ball. Do not use soap, jewelry cleaner or shampoo as this will fade the ink. Similarly, do not immerse the scrimshaw piece in heavily chlorinated water.

   • 2

     Lightly rub the scrimshaw piece with the cotton ball. You will not need to press too hard to clean the piece. Part of the charm of scrimshaw is watching it age, so you shouldn't try for a "new clean." Clean it simply and lightly only to remove oxidants which might damage the piece.

   • 3

     Allow the rubbing alcohol to evaporate.

   • 4

     Apply a thin layer of beeswax to the entire scrimshaw piece with a clean cotton cloth. Beeswax will preserve the ink and protect the ivory of the scrimshaw piece.