Hello there, thank you for coming to our web site.

Allison, Ayla, and I (Felicia) are going to tell you about Scrimshaw Carvings. Scrimshaw is an art form of the Inupiaq Tribe. The Inupiaq people still carve sculptures. After the Inupiaq people get done carving the ivory they put ink over the carvings. After that they will brush it off with cloth. Ink is made from ashes. We think it comes from their pipes and their fires.

Carving ivory and scrimshaw carvings are different kinds of carvings. Carving ivory is when the ivory is carved into a shape like a bear or an eagle. After you are done carving the shape, you will then do the "scrimshaw" part. This is done by scratching either a whole picture or maybe just special details into the surface of the shaped ivory piece. These scratchings are made with certain tools--like a scraper, a knife, and other sharp things. When you are done with the scrimshaw etching step, you will sprinkle ashes into the scratched designs that you made to color the etchings. After you've completed these steps, you are done.

How to make a Scrimshaw carving:

Supplies:

tooth pick

paintbrush

news paper

ink(ashes)

paper towel

ivory soap(bar of soap)

and a parent

1. Spread out the newspaper on to a table, open the bar of soap.

2. Think of what you want to draw and practice them on a sheet of paper.

3. With your toothpick scratch the design you picked onto your bar of soap.

4. When done take your ashes and gently rub them into the surface of the soap with a paper towel.

5. Next you will take your paintbrush and kind of sweep the left over ashes off.

6. The ashes should stay on the soap at all times.

Felicia: I learned a lot of stuff in the Virtual Museum group like what the Inupiaq tribe wore, what they ate , how they got food, and what they put their food in.

Allison: I learned in the Virtual Museum that carvings are differnt from scrimshaw. I think it was pretty cool being in the Virtual Museum.

Ayla: I learned a lot about Inupiaq Eskimos and what they do.