This may look like a piece of genuine scrimshaw, but it’s a fake. Collectors call it “fakeshaw.” The photo was sent by a reader, who said the piece is 7 inches tall and pictures Abraham Lincoln on this side and a tall ship named “Southern Star” on the other. It’s one of several plastic fakes on a list maintained by the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts (WhalingMuseum.org/library/fakeshaw/helpbody.html). If you’re tempted to buy what’s advertised as a piece of genuine scrimshaw-carved bone or ivory or whale’s tooth-check the list. Experts used to suggest some testing methods, but fakers have learned how to pass the tests.