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Mary Ann Scherr, Scrimshaw Necklace, 1975, sterling silver, ivory, and 14k gold, 8 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄8 x 4 in. (21.7 x 18.2 x 10.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist and museum purchase made possible by the friends of docent Alice Nelson in her memory, 1984.42
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Scrimshaw Necklace
- Artist
- Date
- 1975
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 8 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄8 x 4 in. (21.7 x 18.2 x 10.3 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the artist and museum purchase made possible by the friends of docent Alice Nelson in her memory
- Mediums Description
- sterling silver, ivory, and 14k gold
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 1984.42
Artwork Description
Originally a painter and an illustrator, Mary Ann Scherr draws inspiration from many cultures, past and present. In this necklace, she investigated methods of patterning ivory, recalling scrimshaw carvings of an earlier America. Scrimshaw was the art of etching on ivory or bone practiced by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest and adopted by American whalers in the nineteenth century. President John F. Kennedy’s collection revived public interest in scrimshaw in the 1960s. In this piece, the ivory and silver are contoured to fit comfortably on the wearer’s shoulders.