Sunday, February 19, 2006

Scrimshaw Dragon on Mastodon Ivory for Custom Jewelry

This is a 36X22mm scrimshaw dragon done on mastodon ivory. This ivory comes from the Siberian tundra and is frozen in the permafrost for thousands of years. It is the tusks of animals that lived during the last Ice Age over 1,200 years ago. After they died their bodies were sometimes frozen in the ground and preserved. I have seen mastodon tusks that have been found as far south as central Mississippi. However, these are not as well preserved as those found in the frozen tundra of Siberia.

As you can see this material makes a beautiful scrimshaw piece. Any drawing can be put on this ivory and the design scratched into the surface. Ink is applied and let to dry. The surface ink is removed leaving only the ink in the lines of the drawing. This art form goes back thousands of years. If you would like a piece of custom jewelry done using your design in scrimshaw on mastodon ivory just send me an email. You will not only have a unique custom piece, but also a slice of history in the jewelry you wear.