Scrimshaw is the art of etching a picture onto whale bone, ivory or other hard substance, and filling in the etching with ink to bring out the picture. It has been practiced since revolutionary times. It is the indigenous art form of the American Whaleman, who, in his idle hours cruising for whales, devoted himself to fashioning articles and jewelry from the scrap teeth and bone onboard. It didn't receive widespread recognition until President John F. Kennedy, an enthusiastic collector, brought scrimshaw to the public eye.