Remember Me

[anteros_lmc]

You come across all sorts of things on maritime auction sites, but it's fair to say I have never seen anything quite like this before! Well I have, but not in a maritime auction ;) In case you're in any doubt, the catalogue entry describes it as a "rare piece of nautical art, a scrimshaw hollow container with a lid in the form of a phallus.

Comments

[eglantine_br]

I read once that the Nantucket whalers made such things for wives to keep during long voyages. There are some in the Nantucket whaling museum. (I have not been there since grade school, and do not remember seeing them.) The items were called 'he's-at-home.'

But a hollow he's-at-home to hold keepsakes is quite a grand thing.

[anteros_lmc]

I am still creasing myself laughing at this being called a "he's-at-home". It's certainly an apt name!

[anteros_lmc]

No, no. Nothing improper here. Just two solemn ladies demonstrating the proper use of a rare piece of nautical art. I wonder does it require the presence of two women to be used "properly"? :)

[esmerelda_t]

Solemn faces while demonstrating it's proper use? Are they sure they're using it correctly?

I seem to recall at the salacious gossip tour I went on at Hampton court last year they mentioned such tokens were all the rage in polite society!

[anteros_lmc]

Indeed. One would think that if they were using the artefact properly they wouldn't be looking quite so solemn ;)

[donnaimmaculata]

I say! This does look like a token worth having. I think I should keep it on the occasional table and have my guests converse about its artistic and aesthetic value at length.

[eglantine_br]

Or its length, artisticly!

[donnaimmaculata]

Indeed!

[anteros_lmc]

Ha! You beat me to it XD

[_likimeya]

"rare piece of naughtical art, a scrimshaw hollow container with a lid in the form of a phallus.

Fixed it.

SCNR

[anteros_lmc]

Missed that typo. Thanks for fixing.