american whalers began hunting whales out of the new world as early as the 1700's. to pass their idle hours, they began making articles, both practical and frivolous, out of the bones and teeth of the whales they caught. cribbage, dominoes, corset stays, hatboxes, canes, jewelry, anything imaginative, you just name it. with their sailors' needles or knives, they carved simple or sometimes elaborate pictures in the whales teeth, rubbing lamp black from the top of their oil lanterns into the carved lines to highlight the pictures. this is the folk art of scrimshaw. these are solid brass, gold plated TUXEDO SHIRT STUDS. the nautical scenes drawing by brian kiracofe.