Mystery Artist 56 – “MB” from the Northwest – Addition on 2024

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

A beautifully detailed ship and expertly stylized sailor scrimshaw on what appears to be stabilized bone or walrus tusk. I haven’t seen any material like this before. The rope framing is well done, and there may be additional initials under the sailor’s arm looking like “LB” or LS?

It was a gift from someone in the northwest, and the current owner would love to find out more information about it. A simple mounting and additional marking of what appears to be “T 16-5-82” on the back. Any information about the artist and the material would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve looked through the scrimshaw artist marks and signatures (thank you for creating this, Jim Stevens!) and haven’t found a match. Please add to the comments below.

2024 – Additional scrimshaw pieces have surfaced in the Far North of New Zealand, “…a strong whaling area in the 1800s”. The initials are a little different, looking like a conglomeration of “PMJB” on one, and possibly “MJB” on the smaller one. The owner is looking for more information and possible value, including the material. The shape of the tall ship reminds me of cattle bone along with the grain to the right, but I’ve only worked on similar materials – it may be part of a tusk or tooth – a picture of the back may reveal more clues (I’ll ask).

2024 MB from New Zealand

2024 Closeup of art and initials

Any help in identifying the artist and the materials would be helpful. Please respond in the comments below!

Mystery Artist 55 – Scrimshaw with Initials FA

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

A rustic scrimshaw possibly from the Nantucket area. Appears to be real, possibly scrimshawed by knife point or marlin spike. Scrimshawing on a ship at sea had to be difficult at best. The owner would love to know any information about it. The lures (one made in Japan) were always next to the whale tooth when they were displayed.

Any ideas about the artist? Please reply below.

Scrimshaw Chat Book

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

If you’d like to see some of my other work, you can click on this link: https://chatbooks.com/app/share/volume/1ed6d761204d4a7f9bed4f0c06f18943?id=15665872&key=EP7jgn03dtqQC33AtUBQFEmTaWbtYL7KV0WoqGdZ

It’s a chatbook that shows about three years of my scrimshawing. I’m testing out Chatbooks as a means to cataloging the boxes (and boxes, and boxes!) of photos we’ve accumulated from those who have passed on. Digital books are handy and easy to share, but printed books are a great way to share with family and friends. If you’d like to create your own chatbook, click here: http://invite.chatbooks.com/andrewperkins5c3. This will get you a $10 discount and give me a $10 credit toward creating my family albums and future scrimshaw chat books. Their web advertisements are very entertaining, too – if you need a laugh, go to https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chatbooks+commercial.

Rod Lacey – A Personal Scrimshaw

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

Rod and I had been emailing back and forth as I went through the COVID-19 job change, my “mini-retirement” and me subsequently rejoining the workforce, then updating my job description to “remote worker”. I was working on a special project for another client, more of a passion project and enjoyed the connection with them when he emailed and gently reminded me of his offer. I suddenly realized that it would be nice to allow someone the same feeling of satisfaction of creating something for someone else.

Before the passing of our rascally dog Hoagie – a lab and blue tick hound mix that was hard-wired to escape, we rescued another dog: a formidable lab and Rotweiler mix. Despite the new dog’s size, Hoagie’s grumpy old man growl spoke volumes to Toby, who didn’t have to get told twice who the alpha-dog was.

I’d sent several pics of family members to Rod during the year, but none of them quite worked for him or his style. The picture of Toby hit the nail on the head, and Rod was off and scrimming. Below is the sequence he’d sent me, though he let the final reveal be when I opened the box:

This is my next project, a cute doggie. I will scrim this picture onto a piece of Mammoth ivory.
It weighs 26.5 grams and measures 6cm wide x 8cm high.
It is a Beautiful clean piece of ivory.
Stage 1 – 19/2/21
This picture shows the Ivory polished and ready to scrim.
Stage 2- 19/2/21
This pic shows the doggie picture attached to the ivory ready to have the outline cut out.
Stage 3- 20/2/21
This picture shows the cute doggie outline cut and inked.
Half-way around the world and sitting between my displays – a wonderful gift from a talented artist!

After not too long, a package arrived at our post office (we still don’t have a mailbox, just a PO box in the next town over. Since our closest neighbors are the bears and the foxes we really haven’t needed one, though it would have been nice to just shovel my way to the end of the driveway and pick this up!). Rod also carved the custom stand which is a piece of art in itself.

As I write this, Toby lays on the floor nearby, patiently waiting for me to finish so he can take me for a walk.

Thanks Rod, for creating a beautiful scrimshaw of my 110+ lb lap dog (at least – he thinks he’s a lap dog…).

Mystery Artist 54 – HJBreuer – possibly found?

Posted on by Andrew Perkins

From 1981, on ivory micarta. It looks lie HJBreuen, though it might be HJBreuen, Karl writes:
” …was perusing the internet to try to ID the Artist on these lovely Westinghouse Micarta 1911 grips, any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Mystery Artist 54 Signature HJBreuer '81
Mystery Artist 54, scrimshaw eagle with shield, arrows and olive branch on micarta.
Mystery Artist 54 - Left side scrimshaw of Eagle with shield, arrows and olive branch

Nice design, precise framing. The scrimshaw eagle has decent cross-hatching. Hoping to get more information about this artist who we haven’t run across before. Anyone familiar with HJBreuen and their work? Please add your comments below.

2021-02-09 Update:

I stumbled over skrimshaw today, very nice page indeed, and I think I found your latest mystery artist. As I seem to be too stupid to find the comment section on your website, you’re getting this via e-mail. I think the artist you’re looking for is (or rather was) called Henry Joseph Breuer, and studied at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts. It’s quite difficult to look for him online, because of a quite famous artist of the same name, possibly his Grandfather, who died in 1932. I only came across him when researching that artist. Anyway, some info can be found here: https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/118689739/henry-joseph-breuer . Note the “He leaves a lifetime of artwork behind.” at the bottom of the obituary. Evidently not the most commercially successful of fellows, but there you go. 

Greetings from Freiburg in Germany,

Andreas B”

Thank you Andreas! This looks like an excellent lead. As far as not finding the comment section, it’s more than likely due to a loose nut behind the keyboard on this end…