Horrific, Macabre, Artistic, and Fascinating Skulls Etc.

A somewhat dependable quick test for ‘reproduction’ or ‘faux’ scrimshaw is to take a red-hot needle with pliers and try to force it into a discreet section of the tusk. If it penetrates, it is probably (very likely) plastic or resin. A reproduction, fake. If it does NOT penetrate, it is/might be, real tusk or tooth material. Usually, only genuine tooth or bone can withstand the penetration of a red-hot needle. Made-made materials made after circa 1979 (plastics, resins, etc.) have been formulated to be harder, denser and do not necessarily hold-up to the ‘hot pin test’ anymore. So, an expert appraiser should be used if in serious doubt of any scrim’s authenticity. A genuine scrimshaw walrus tooth might go on auction for $600-900.00 or more. I think my friend paid $50.00 for his ’scrimshaw’ artifact so had it been real, it would have been a major windfall profit. At any rate, I would have still paid $50.00 for even knowing that is was a reproduction piece. It is that amazing!

Genuine scrims were made by first soaking the tusk or tooth in brine to soften it. Then, it was scraped with a knife and hand-sanded with sharkskin to obtain a clean surface. New and prepared tusk or tooth is fairly soft but hardens with age. An image from a poster or magazine would be drawn on the scrim in pencil and using a sharp nail or knife, the design would be etched and carved. The scrim hardens and yellows with age. No attempt should be made to ‘clean’ a scrim as this can remove the tobacco, tar or whatever ‘patina’ was applied to stain the work and make the art carving darker. Natural cracks appear with great age. There are of course in addition to honest reproductions meant as novelty keepsakes, fakes and forgeries. If the scrim art is not as deep as the natural cracks, then the art was carved-on more recently as the cracks were already present. Again, a professional appraiser’s opinion would need to be invoked. Legal restrictions and considerations regarding the buying or selling of antique scrimshaw exist.

As you might guess, -I would love to have a (legally obtained, permissible to own) sperm whale tooth or walrus tusk suitable to carve. Or, a thick-boned black or grizzly bear skull. I would ‘detail’ it similarly to that leather mask featured earlier, only, instead of using sharpened carpenter’s nails or knives I would use precision rotary tools like what I use on my rock/stone-carving projects. *Sigh…*

Why So Serious Silly?

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A rhino skull. It looks like a silly smirk on it’s bony mug, no? No much room for gray-matter in there.

Skull Rock

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Skull Rock at Joshua Tree National Park, California. Realistic-looking, possibly a bit of the-hand-of-man was involved here? I can’t say, I’ve never been there. This looks very good though. -Here’s stick in yer eye, matey!

Probably an Elephant Skull

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That ‘hole’ in the center that looks as if it was meant for one large, central eye is probably where the trunk of the elephant attaches and is the sinus cavity, not an eye-socket. Those two vertical fluted chambers in front might be from where the tusks emanate. The top flatness and square overall shape of the skull does suggest an elephant.

Or, it could be a Cyclops? Your guess is as good as mine.