Image
Practising the art known as scrimshaw, whalers would carve the teeth of sperm whales in intricate designs, often depicting nautical scenes. This piece was done in 1792 by a sailor on board the British ship Albemarle. Like other ships which brought convicts to Australia, the Albermarle probably went whaling in the South Pacific after dropping the convicts at Botany Bay.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Reference: X 479.1
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.