Scrimshaw Serving Bowl — Anchor, Ship & Whale | Thomas Paul

A serving bowl in bamboo fiber and melamine resin with a scrimshaw-style nautical illustration wrapping the full exterior — three motifs printed in deep navy blue on a warm cream ground: a ship's anchor with chain and rope, a fully-rigged tall ship under sail, and a sperm whale rendered in a detailed, naturalistic style. The three motifs are spaced evenly around the circumference of the bowl, each one large enough to read clearly from across a table.

The illustration style is scrimshaw — the traditional art form practiced by sailors and whalers in the 18th and 19th centuries, in which detailed images were engraved into whale ivory or bone and filled with ink. The Thomas Paul Scrimshaw bowl translates this tradition into a printed surface — the fine line work, the cross-hatching, and the tonal depth of the original scrimshaw technique reproduced in the print. The anchor is drawn with rope and chain detail. The tall ship is drawn with full rigging, sails, and hull detail. The whale is drawn with anatomical precision — the sperm whale's distinctive square head and narrow lower jaw clearly rendered.

Thomas Paul — Design-Led Tableware

Thomas Paul is a New York-based design brand known for bold, illustrative surface design applied to tableware, textiles, and home accessories. The Scrimshaw collection is one of Thomas Paul's signature series — the nautical illustration vocabulary of 19th-century scrimshaw translated into a contemporary tableware collection. Thomas Paul products are carried by Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, and MoMA Design Store.

How It Improves Your Daily Life

The Scrimshaw bowl is large enough to serve a salad, a fruit bowl, pasta, or a shared side dish at the table — the wide, shallow form making it easy to serve from and easy to pass around. The navy blue illustration on cream works on any table setting — with white linen, natural wood, blue and white ceramics, or a coastal-themed table.

The bamboo fiber and melamine construction makes the bowl lightweight, durable, and resistant to chipping — it is lighter than ceramic and more resistant to breakage than porcelain or glass, making it a practical choice for everyday use and outdoor dining.

How to Style It

• Dining table — as a salad bowl, fruit bowl, or shared side dish at the center of the table
• Coastal or nautical table setting — the anchor, ship, and whale motifs as the focal point of a navy and cream table
• Kitchen counter — as a fruit bowl or a decorative object when not in use
• Outdoor dining — lightweight and durable for outdoor table settings
• Gift — carried by Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, and MoMA Design Store; a complete, considered gift for any occasion
• Pairs with: navy blue and white linen, natural wood, coastal and nautical interiors

Details & Care

• Brand: Thomas Paul | New York
• Material: Bamboo fiber & melamine resin | Lightweight, durable, chip-resistant
• Illustration: Scrimshaw-style navy blue print on cream — anchor with chain and rope | Fully-rigged tall ship | Sperm whale
• Form: Wide shallow serving bowl
• Carried by: Crate & Barrel | Anthropologie | MoMA Design Store
• Care: Hand wash only with mild soap and warm water. Not dishwasher safe — melamine degrades at high temperatures. Not microwave safe. Not suitable for direct heat.