Trends in Scrimshaw

Alaska is famous for its trade in Mammoth Ivory trade along with the whale and walrus tusks. From scrimshaws to small and large carved tusks, artists want everything that they can lay their hands on. Wooly Mammoths fossils can be found on private estates which are available for sale as it is legal all over the world.Most of the mammoths died in the cold regions of the tundra which encompasses arctic, Alaska and Siberia. Jewelry, curios, beads, souvenirs and decorative items are quite a favorite with people all around the world.
There are many artists who engrave ivory as a means of hobby and earn a livelihood through it. Scrimshaw artists, bead makers, fossil collectors, sculptors are always willing to buy different shapes and sizes of tusks and tooth.
Huge tusks weighing more than 60 kg are known to be much in demand by both the customers and the artists. Exorbitantly priced tusks are bought by private collectors and museums. However, Alaska has the biggest cache of mammoth ivory fossils in USA. Shifting rivers, melted snow, digging on private estate and eroding coats bring up the fossils that generally look like driftwood.

Do You Know Which Ivory is Legal?

Do You Know Which Ivory is Legal?
By Anita Satin Choudhary

Mammoth ivory is an exquisitely beautiful material medium reaching far back into our artistically creative humanistic past, and still touches us today due to the well preserved mammoths being excavated throughout Alaska and Siberia, and the traditional ivory carving artists. Most all of these highly talented artists have been uniquely trained by highly skilled and experienced senior artists.

From the largest to the very smallest, there is no wastage of the salvaged ivory. Even the smallest of pieces can be used for decoration purposes of knife handles, jewelry, various types of artworks, and each slightly larger size discovered may be made into Netsuke designs, piano keys, scrimshaws, gun handles and so forth. For the larger ivory findings, those pieces will be individually sold just as all the other variations of tusks. It is in the larger pieces discovered, and that then they will be carved into very thin sheets for the sales to those with the artistic talents of water color painting sheets.

Whale ivory is another popular ivory used for many kinds of carvings and especially in maritime scrimshaw carvings. Whale tooth carving has also been one of the original materials for traditional and contemporary Japanese Netsuke, due to its beauty and hardness. Just as mammoth ivory, whale ivory is one of the most perfect materials to carve small and elegantly detailed items out off you are the proud owner of any type of ivory, whether it is whale, mammoth, or elephant, proper care is very important for this delicate material. If a piece becomes slightly yellowed from darkness, wipe it down with a soft cloth that has been dipped in water diluted lemon juice.

If the ivory is combined with any kind of metal, do not get the metal wet with the lemon juice in any way. If your ivory is damaged by dark patches, take it to a professional who is knowledgeable in the proper polishing methods in a delicate material like ivory.

Scrimshaw

Nantucket: Coastal Charm and Beautiful Beaches
By Jennifer Weiss

It is impossible to overstate the beauty of the pristine and stunning beaches that line the shore of this quaint little island. The sparkling stretches of sand along the north shore, including Children’s Beach, Dionis Beach, and Jetties Beach, are the perfect place for family-oriented excursion since they are protected by Nantucket Sound and generally have few waves. Swimming, shelling, and sunbathing are all available near the water in addition to sandcastle building competitions and Fourth of July fireworks at Jetties Beach and a playground at Children’s Beach.

In contrast to the relative calm of the north, the rest of Nantucket’s shoreline is susceptible to pounding surf and strong currents. The south and eastern shores, which feature Miacomet Beach, Cisco Beach, Surfside Beach, and Siasconset Beach, are particularly dangerous since the Atlantic’s waves flood into this area. Depending on the conditions, swimming is sometimes possible, but wading is usually a better bet along with surfing at Cisco Beach. On the western shore, Madaket Beach has very heavy surf along its lengthy banks and is the best place on the island to soak up a vibrant and breathtaking sunset.

With its rich history as the whaling capital of the world during the 1800s, a stop by the Whaling Museum is always in order during your stay on Nantucket. The awe-inspiring 43-foot skeleton of a finback whale is sure to delight children, while adults can certainly appreciate the paintings, portraits, and collection of scrimshaw in addition to the daily lectures, chock-full of colorful history, on the whaling industry. If the history of the island appeals to your senses, or you simply need to fill a rainy day, the Nantucket Life Saving Museum, with its stories of heroism, is always inspirational, and the Egan Maritime Foundation Museum offers interesting insight into the traditions, architecture, and history of Nantucket.

The Art Of Finding Mammoth Ivory Tusks

Alaska and Siberia are the two main locations for excavating the extinct woolly mammoth and tusks of ivory. Siberia, just as Alaska, carries the on going struggle that is getting deeper between the archaeologists and those excavating specifically for the exquisite natural material of mammoth ivory tusks. With mammoth now being the chosen ivory for creating some of the most beautiful ivory art throughout time, it is also one of the only legal ivory allowed because of elephants being banned, the importance of this ivory is at its height.

Even with the importance of archeology and the laws enforced to protect Alaska's only way to detail the land and human history, there are still those who do not care. Some interstate commerce traders are not stopping and illegally mining public sites for old walrus ivory and whale bone. The mammoth, walrus and whale are to serve as raw material for making ivory jewelry, scrimshaw, and carvings.

Despite what many people may think, elephant and mammoth ivory are both actually very fragile materials. Although both elephant and mammoth tusks are hard to the touch, they are also both made up of concentrated growth rings. It is when the tusks begin to grow and age, that there will be shrinkage. While at the same time, the ivory rings will then separate causing it to be slightly more fragile with the aging process. It is because of this, that the tusks of mammoth can be difficult to find as completely perfect whole tusks during initial preservation. This is one of the reasons as to why the excavation process can be slightly difficult and time consuming, so to not damage the 10,000 year old tusks of the mammoth.

Scrimshaw Collecting

Scrimshaw is an indigenous American craft. Many people collect these beautiful pieces of maritime artwork. Scrimshaw is etched or carved bone or whale teeth. It began as a way for sailors to literally whittle away the time during long sea voyages in the early part of the nineteenth century.
Scrimshaw is to this day a practiced art and is no longer confined to seamen, although most scrimshaw etchers will stick with maritime themes out of respect for the history of their craft. Collectors desire many of the original antique pieces, but are not averse to sprinkling their collection with more affordable modern pieces.
The recommended method of cleaning scrimshaw is to very gently wipe the surface with a cotton swab that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol. Very little pressure should be used, as too much pressure can damage the inks or even the etching itself. Never use any harsh cleaners on scrimshaw, such as shampoo, soap, detergents, jewelry cleaner, or bleach.
Do not scrub, as this will remove some ink from the fine lines. I use a light coat of warm beeswax rubbed into the ivory to preserve the scrimshaw and keep the ivory from drying and aging too fast. Waxing should be repeated when the ivory is cleaned, because the alcohol removes it. If you treat your scrimshaw with care, it will give you many years of pleasure and may become a treasured heirloom.

What is Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw -- Painstaking etching on ivory or bone -- is one of only a few indigenous American crafts. Many people collect these beautiful pieces of maritime artwork. Scrimshaw is etched or carved bone or whale teeth. It began as a way for sailors to literally whittle away the time during long sea voyages in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Scrimshaw is very detailed work, in most cases. It is carefully etched into the media and usually has a maritime them, reflecting its origins. Many fine pieces are of whaling scenes, whales, women, ships, or seascapes. The finished etching is then sometimes colored with quality inks to accentuate the etching.
Treat your scrimshawed ivory as you would any fine jewelry. Do not get it wet unnecessarily, because the inks, especially colors, may fade. Keep your scrimshaw out of bright sun; this dries and cracks the ivory and may fade certain colored inks. Detergents, shampoo, heavily chlorinated water, and jewelry cleaning solutions should be avoided, as they turn the ivory surface dull and remove the etched lines.
Care and cleaning of scrimshaw is important to collectors, as it is easy to damage it, especially some of the finer pieces with inks, especially colored inks. One of the primary care taking rules is to keep scrimshaw dry and out of direct sunlight. Both moisture and sun can fade the inks and dyes, and direct sunlight can cause ivory or bone to develop cracks.

If scrimshaw is properly cared for, it can last several lifetimes and can provide not only you, but also your heirs, with beautiful artwork with rich history that can be both fun and profitable to collect.