Dale Hanson Studio, Alaska’s Premier Carver/Sculptor Specializing in the Portrayal of Wildlife and the People of the North
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Walrus Mandible (Jawbone) Sculptures
MANDIBLE is jaw bone and in this case specifically from walrus bone which is two to six hundred years old. The bone is very dense, harder and heavier than ivory by volume. Its color is a warm beige or tan at a hundred years of age and becomes nearly black at six hundred.
Because of the shape of a jaw most of my sculptures tend to the long, slender species of animal- whales, seal, fish and similar compositions. Because mandible is larger than a walrus tusk in girth, it is possible to scale up many of my sculptures. It is possible for example, to sculpt five, nine inch long whales and place them in composition attached to large ancient walrus or dinosaur bone for a very striking art piece.
With the warm coloration of old mandible it works well to incorporate ivory or a similar material to play off the colors against each other.
Good mandible sculptures are relatively scarce in that the artist will expend greater effort creating a piece in dense mandible than would be required for the same piece executed in ivory. The finished product however would command less a price because the one was executed in ivory whereas the other was done in bone. Quality carvers are reluctant to work this media for this reason. I continue to produce work in mandible because of its rich color and the ability to size up. I rely then on a discriminating buyer to appreciate the skill level and his desire to own a unique art form.
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Whale and baby swimming |
4" mother and 2" baby:$300 5" mother and 3" baby:$490 8-9" mother with a 4" baby:$900 Add to Cart |
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Whale and nursing baby |
4" mother and 2" baby:$300 5" mother and 3" baby:$490 8-9" mother and 4" baby: $900 Add to Cart |
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"First Breath" mother whale pushing baby to the surface for the first breath of air. |
4" mother and 2" baby:$300 5" mother and 3" baby:$490 |
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"First Breath" mother whale pushing baby to the surface for the first breath of air. | 8-9" mother and 4" baby:$900 Add to Cart |
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Bowhead whale and a pair of belugas, 4 ½" bowhead and 2 11/4" belugas. In nature the two species of whales migrate together. The darker bowhead is of jawbone and the white belugas are ivory. Base is 3X4". | $700 Add to Cart |
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Whale pairs |
3" plus whales: $260 4" whales on a 3 x 4" base: $330 Add to Cart 5" whales 3 x 5 x 7": $650 9" whales, 6 x 11 x 11": $1200 Add to Cart |
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Narwhale pair with walrus whisker tusks |
3" whales: $260 |
| Back to top | Orca |
Solo orca: $180 Add to Cart 5" orca: $320 Add to Cart |
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Single whales of any species, also seal and otter |
3 ½" single whale, seal, or otter: $120 Add to Cart 4" single whale, seal, or otter on a 2 ½ x 3 ¼" base: $170 Add to Cart 5" single whale, seal, or otter: $250 Add to Cart 9" single whale, seal, or otter: $600 Add to Cart |
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Solo narwhale |
4" narwhale: $190 5" narwhale: $250 |
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Whale adult family of three |
3" adults: $380 Add to Cart 4" adults: $550 Add to Cart 5-6" adults (overall 5x9x9"): $850 Add to Cart 9" adults: $1800 |
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Whale family of five |
3 ½" figures: $700 4" figures: $900 Add to Cart 5-6" figures: (10x9x7") $1450 Add to Cart 9" figures: $3100 |
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"Buddies" Whale and a pair of sea lions |
5 ½" whale and 3 ½" sea lions (5 x 7 x 7"): $700 9" whale and 3 ½" sea lions: $900 Add to Cart |
| Back to top | Orca chasing a sea lion | 5" killer whale and 2" sea lion: $450 Add to Cart |
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Pair of 3 ½" sealion playing with an ivory fishing float |
3 x 4 x 5"; $450 Add to Cart |
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Pair of sealion chasing an ivory salmon |
5" sealion |
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Walrus with ivory tusks |
4" walrus: $190 5" walrus on a 3X4" base, $250 Add to Cart |
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Dramatic sculpture of three dolphin turning tables on a 6" long shark with attached fins and opened mouth. The base is 5 1/2 x 9" with two thousand year old bison horn and skullcap accent. | $950 Add to Cart |
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Halibut. Halibut is 5" on a 3x4" base and accent | $170 Add to Cart |
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Single salmon, 5" salmon on a 2 1/2 x 3 ¼" base | $140 Add to Cart |
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Salmon pair as above with larger accent |
$280 Add to Cart |
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Salmon trio as above | $420 Add to Cart |
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Pendants, mandible carvings with gold bail and chain. Available in all whales, seal, salmon, halibut, bear, otter, eagle bust, baby bird and otter. |
$90 Add to Cart |
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Single sea lion chasing a salmon. The sealion is 5" mandible and the ivory is 1 ¾" ivory on a 3X4" base. | $450 Add to Cart |
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Eagle in flight, 16" wingspan, 6" x 12" x 18" mounted on a 2,000 year old bison horn |
18" wingspan: $2200 11" wingspan: $1500 |
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CHICKADEE ON BRANCH | 5X3X5": $260 Add to Cart |
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LOON CHASING FISH | 4X4X8": $450 Add to Cart |
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Pair of eagles in flight |
16" wingspan: $4100 11" wingspan: $2950 |