Bone Carving is a very old and popular Polynesian art form. I became intrigued with bone carving while traveling in New Zealand. One sees it mostly in the form of necklaces that are worn as talismans. Each style or design combines symbols to represent a certain wish for protection, good luck, bounty, etc. In 1998, when I was in New Zealand, rather than buying tourist quality necklaces to bring home as souvenirs, I decided to learn how to carve and make my own. I fell in love with the whole process and determined to continue carving when I returned to the States.
In New Zealand, Maori carvers use whale bone for their carving. It is a sacred creature given to them by the sea spirits. They do not hunt the whale. However, when it is offered up on the shore, they use every bit of it for some purpose. I was struck by the similarity between the total use of the whale by Maoris and the total use of the buffalo by the American Plains Indian.
Not having access to whale bone in Dallas (where I lived when I started carving) I decided to use buffalo bone. I use the shank bone – the thick bone between the knee and the ankle. I buy bone that is fresh and still has the meat and marrow on it. I then have to boil the bone several times to loosen and separate the meat and the marrow from the bone and to remove oils. After drying, it is ready to carve.
During the carving process I use several types of tools. I do rough cutting with a handsaw or a Dremel (rotary power tool). As the piece gets smaller and moves toward its final size and shape, I switch between using the Dremel, the handsaw and various hand files. When the piece is very nearly in its final form I start sanding it. I begin with 320-grit sandpaper and work through progressively finer grits until I finish with 1500 in water. I then will polish using two polishes with hand and power buffing.
On some pieces I will inlay paua shell, abalone, mammoth tusk, amber, wood or whatever seems appropriate at the time. I string using a waxed cotton and often embellish with various purchased beads.
ABOUT MY ART ...
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