Collection Highlights
Petition to Abraham Lincoln for recruitment of black troops
Date:
ca. 1862
Object Number:
MSS.BV.Petitions
Medium:
Paper
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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Fid
Object Number:
1943.218
Date:
1800-1900
Medium:
Bone
Dimensions:
Overall: 10 7/8 x 1 3/8 in. ( 27.6 x 3.5 cm )
Description:
Turned whale jaw bone with a long cone and two ball shaped sections, each banded at midpoint.
Gallery Label:
This fid is used to make grommets (fasteners). Comments of scrimshaw expert Stuart M. Frank, Senior Curator, New Bedford Whaling Museum, January 2013: Carved from a whale’s jaw bone, fids were universal tools at sea, which makes them difficult to date. As tools, Fids made from jawbone were desired for their strength and the perceived ability to self-lubricate from oils stored within the bone.
Credit Line:
Gift of Mrs. Fanny Shapiro
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
