Albany's Historic Whaling Station > Records

SCRIMSHAW (SPERM WHALE AND TWO FRIGATES)

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Keith Plug

1982

Subcollections

Overview

(a) Wooden base with a (b) small ivory sperm whale and two halves of whale tooth standing each side. Each face of the tooth is etched with image of a ship. (c) Brig facing left, (d) brig facing right.

Dimensions: (mm)
A: 175 x 58 x 9
B: 52 x 18 x 13
C: 95 x 38 x 15
D: 96 x 40 x 16

Historical information

Made by Keith Plug local scrimshander. (Ref. Jill Bell in conversation with AG 20.3.99) (Original J + JO Bell list item # 79 p.7/8)
A piece of scrimshaw made by a local artist in 1982. Also, part of the John Bell collection.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-128-SC1999.242a-d

Item type

Artworks

Scrimshaw

Themes

Maritime > Whaling

Material

Ivory

Wood

Width

175 mm

Height or length

96 mm

Depth

58 mm

Weight

173 g

Inscriptions and markings

K.Plug '82
Marks: (a) (under ship) [BRIG] (l.l) [KR (illeg.)/(illeg.)2] (c) (under ship) [BRIG] (l.r.) [K (illeg.)/82] '

Contextual information

Albany's Historic Whaling Station Collection.

Keywords

PLUG Ken

Scrimshaw

Albany's Historic Whaling Station Collection

Whaleworld Museum

Place made

Albany, Western Australia, Australia

Year

1982

Statement of significance

This item has social and historical significance. It was made by a local Albany artist, using materials taken from whales harvested by the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company when it was operational. Objects such as these were carved by former employees and locals who acquired whalebone, ivory and baleen from the whaling station.

Primary significance criteria

Artistic or aesthetic significance

Historic significance

Scientific or research significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Rare or representative

Public location

Scrimshaw gallery at AHWS

Last modified

Wednesday, 19 August, 2026

Completeness