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| Eve - Mid 19th Century Scrimshaw Nantucket Whaling Museum |
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| Adam - Mid 19th Century Scrimshaw Nantucket Whaling Museum |
Scrimshaw, 1849
The lure of gold is intoxicating,
far easier than whaling, they say.
From the harbor I watch sails fill,
sink into the horizon,
clutch Adam to my chest,
Eve in my pocket;
No need of temptation,
of dreams too big to fill.
Come back to me
and simplicity, keep a promise:
carve your mark
into flesh and bone,
come back and rest your elbow
upon fire's mantle,
Adam and Eve either side, reunited,
as you smile at me.
postscript: Adam & Eve Scrimshaw,
Mid 19th Century,
Nantucket Whaling Museum,
Artist: Anonymous
by Margaret Bednar, October 4, 2018
This is for "Artistic Interpretation - A Whale of a Tale".
"carve your mark" - meaning signature
Many scrimshaw are not signed by the artist - they are beautiful pieces of artwork and labeled "anonymous". The pair above are bone (ivory) from whale teeth.
HERE is a brief history of the end of Whaling on Nantucket and the lure of California gold.
