Description

Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

Sperm whale teeth is Large, blunt conical teeth obtained from the sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus or Physeter catadon.

Sperm whale teeth were used for decorative scrimshaw as well as small functional items, such as buttons, combs, and gaming pieces. Sperm whale teeth is also called sperm whale tooth.

Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

what do whales teeth look like?

Toothed whales have cone-shaped teeth that look very different from human or even dog teeth.

Most toothed whales have rows of simple peg-like teeth, each one looking the same as the next. Baleen whales, such as blue whales, don’t have actual teeth.

Instead, they have hundreds of baleen plates hanging down from the roof of their upper mandible, which work like a sieve to filter microscopic food.

The teeth of whales are mostly dentin, also known as ivory, a 75% mineralized tissue that also contains collagen.

Whales Teeth for Sale

Massive antique Sperm Whale tooth for sale. Heavily worn on underside after being used as a doorstop for decades. This piece has stood the test of time. This will make a great sperm whale tooth scrimshaw.

For so many years, whalers from Nantucket have hunted down whales for whale oil, and in the process, the acquired other parts such as the whale Ivory and bones and carved them into artifacts, jewelry, and Scrimshaw art.

Today, Whales are a protected species under CITES regulations. So, we ship all our Sperm whale teeth with CITES permits.

Overview
Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

Tabua are pierced and braided whales’ teeth, originally taken from the lower jaw of sperm whales found stranded on Fijian beaches. Because whale strandings are relatively rare in Fiji, whale teeth are highly valued.

A tabua is a polished tooth of a sperm whale that is an important cultural item in Fijian society.

Cultural value

In Pacific Island societies, some objects have a cultural value that far outweighs their market value. In Fijian society, tabua are examples of this kind of object.

Fijians consider tabua to be kavakaturanga (chiefly items). They are not worn, but are presented at important ceremonies, including weddings, births, and funerals.

Tabua used to be the most effective way to give weight to an apology or atonement. The occasion that tabua are presented at also determines their spiritual value.

Construction

Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

To make tabua, the whale teeth are polished and sometimes rubbed with coconut oil and turmeric to darken them.

In some cases, the teeth are smoked in a small tent-like structure covered in bark cloth in order to turn them a rich tobacco color.

Ceremonial tabua have holes drilled through the tip and the butt, and a braided sennit (coconut husk fiber) cord is attached.

Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

While tabua are a uniquely Fijian object, whale teeth are also important in other societies.

Fijians traded with Tongans for whale teeth and when European whalers arrived in the region they introduced greater numbers of whale teeth into the local economy.

European sailors used to carve and color whale teeth in their spare time (this was called scrimshaw).

Sperm Whale Teeth for Sale

Whale teeth were shaped into necklaces and other ornaments in many parts of the Pacific, including Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Hawai’i, and the Marquesas Islands.

Māori also used whale teeth to make rei niho (whale tooth pendants), which were worn by people of high rank.

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