Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Island
Kine Art's carvings unique?
It is a dying art that originated in the islands of New Zealand centuries ago. Each piece has a meaning and symbolizes virtues or characteristics that we would all like to attain. There is a small group of traditional bone carvers who actually carve their own pieces. Many of our symbols and designs have been exploited by china and has resulted in mass production. Most people can't tell the difference between the real thing and a mass produced piece. To avoid purchasing a mass produced piece, it is best to purchase from the artist himself.
Each artist has their own style and technique. What separates my carvings from most carvers is that I maintain the traditional value of the carvings; meaning I don't mix traditional carvings with distracting mediums such as wood, pearl shells, beads, color dye, etc. 95% of the cording is black, putting much of the emphasis on the bone carving itself and not the necklace as a whole.
Is this ivory?
Ivory makes beautiful carvings, but the truth is that beef bones look better. Beef bone has a much whiter luster to it than ivory. Aside from that, ivory is also illegal to carve. Many people will say that it is OK to carve petrified ivory, but we avoid ivory altogether due to the negative connotation.
What materials do you use for your carvings?
I use beef bones for 75% of my carvings. The following materials are also available:
How come you don't use whale bones for your carvings?
Whale bones were used exclusively by the ancient polynesians for bone carvings because it was plentiful. Stranded whales found on the shores of the New Zealand Islands was seen as a gift from God and the meat was used for consumption while the bones were used to make tools, weapons, and bone art. The natives treated this gift with utmost respect and used the bones with meticulous care and frugality. Modern day capitalism and gaming exploited the much coveted material and meat which lead to malicious slaughtering of the sacred animals ultimately leading to its endangered status. Although petrified whale bones are legally available for our usage, i avoid the material altogether because of its polarizing effect on our society and my respect for what it means to our people.
How long does it take to carve a piece?
Most pieces take at least 1-3 hours for the carving process alone. Others can take up to 16 to 20 hours . This doesn't include the time to prepare the bones. I prepare our bones direct from the butcher and most cases still have some of the meet attached to the bone. The preparation of the bones is by far the most labor intensive. The bones generally take 2 weeks to air dry after they've been cleaned before the carving process can even begin.
It is a dying art that originated in the islands of New Zealand centuries ago. Each piece has a meaning and symbolizes virtues or characteristics that we would all like to attain. There is a small group of traditional bone carvers who actually carve their own pieces. Many of our symbols and designs have been exploited by china and has resulted in mass production. Most people can't tell the difference between the real thing and a mass produced piece. To avoid purchasing a mass produced piece, it is best to purchase from the artist himself.
Each artist has their own style and technique. What separates my carvings from most carvers is that I maintain the traditional value of the carvings; meaning I don't mix traditional carvings with distracting mediums such as wood, pearl shells, beads, color dye, etc. 95% of the cording is black, putting much of the emphasis on the bone carving itself and not the necklace as a whole.
Is this ivory?
Ivory makes beautiful carvings, but the truth is that beef bones look better. Beef bone has a much whiter luster to it than ivory. Aside from that, ivory is also illegal to carve. Many people will say that it is OK to carve petrified ivory, but we avoid ivory altogether due to the negative connotation.
What materials do you use for your carvings?
I use beef bones for 75% of my carvings. The following materials are also available:
- Elk bone
- Elk and deer antlers
- Jade stone
- Mother of Pearl shells (MOP shells)
- Various types of wood
- Petrified woolly mammoth bone (our most exotic material)
How come you don't use whale bones for your carvings?
Whale bones were used exclusively by the ancient polynesians for bone carvings because it was plentiful. Stranded whales found on the shores of the New Zealand Islands was seen as a gift from God and the meat was used for consumption while the bones were used to make tools, weapons, and bone art. The natives treated this gift with utmost respect and used the bones with meticulous care and frugality. Modern day capitalism and gaming exploited the much coveted material and meat which lead to malicious slaughtering of the sacred animals ultimately leading to its endangered status. Although petrified whale bones are legally available for our usage, i avoid the material altogether because of its polarizing effect on our society and my respect for what it means to our people.
How long does it take to carve a piece?
Most pieces take at least 1-3 hours for the carving process alone. Others can take up to 16 to 20 hours . This doesn't include the time to prepare the bones. I prepare our bones direct from the butcher and most cases still have some of the meet attached to the bone. The preparation of the bones is by far the most labor intensive. The bones generally take 2 weeks to air dry after they've been cleaned before the carving process can even begin.
