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Museum catalogue: Scrimshaw Collection

 

Scrimshaw

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Accession no.: Y: 62/15/54
Object name: Scrimshaw
Title: Scrimshaw
Description: Tooth 218 mm, polychrome: red and blue-green. Woman in elaborate dress in front of fireplace.
Classified name:
[Unknown system] 730.235 & 639.245.1
Number of items: 1
Full description:

Whole: With a pricked-in portrait of a woman in a full-length ball or evening dress in the modest look of ca. 1840-50. The tight bodice would have been 'boned' ie. with stays of whalebone/baleen. A centre pocket probably held a very long stay-busk or corset stay, similar to Y: 62/15/26, which would have been extremely uncomfortable and made it almost impossible to bend. She wears gloves and carries the current fashion accessory: a posy in a holder. Unusually, we see the room of a wealthy household with patterned carpet (strangely lacking perspective), a carved fireplace with overmantel and many ornaments.

Dimensions:
  • Height: 218mm
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