Dale Hanson Studio, Alaska’s Premier Carver/Sculptor Specializing in the Portrayal of Wildlife and the People of the North

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Whalebone Carving or Sculpture

WHALEBONE carving or sculpture is a rarity and regional to the Northwest and the Arctic. It is rarely found anywhere else.

Of all sculpture media this is the most miserable to carve. To begin with I use very old bone, one to four hundred years old, but still in good condition. I insure that the bone has been in continuous hands for at least forty years. The outside hard shell is sawed off exposing the inside which resembles a honeycomb with a myriad of tiny cavities. Often in rolling in the ocean for a century or lying in a sandbar these holes fill with sand even though there seems to be no way for it to get inside. The sand and extra hard bone destroy tools. In the carving the fine dust causes headaches and the chips are flying needles. After most of the work has been completed one may discover a hole or deep cracks just where they are most aggravating. When completed, however, there is a sculpture of character and uniqueness.

Because of the many holes the finished carving can have the appearance of fur and lends itself to carvings of bears and similar subjects. Those same holes on the other hand prevent fine detail which an artist may desire in other media. With this in mind shapes and lines are sought to make one's statement.

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WHALE RIB AND VERTEBRAE SCULPTURES