Carving Tagua Nuts, the Vegetable Ivory
Carving Tagua Nuts, the Vegetable Ivory, Save the Elephants
Some of the most interesting souvenirs to bring back from Iquitos Peru and the Amazon Rainforest are miniature sculptures carved from vegetable ivory, the mature fruit of the Yarina Palm, Tagua nuts. They have the look and feel of elephant ivory, but are a plentiful, renewable, rainforest resource.
The best vegetable ivory sculptures are works of art. Even simple primitive carvings take hours. Artistic pieces can take days.
As one artist, Matt Grimes, told me “It’s a hard material to work with. Tagua nuts are covered with a fibrous husk, are hollow in the middle, and dense. Keeping the tools sharp is necessary. Dull tools chip instead of slice.”
Matt is my son. Keeping the tools sharp is a sore subject. I came home to discover all of my drill bits, hole punches and screw drivers imbedded in home made Black Cherry wood handles with the tips sharpened, customized, and converted into various sized and shaped scrapers, and chisels.
“But Dad, you don’t use drill bits anymore.”
He’s right, not those drill bits.
On a visit to Iquitos last year Matt became fascinated with Tagua and has focused his artistic ability on the sculpture of Tagua nuts ever since. For anyone interested in carving, I am lurking and Matt is posting at the Woodcarving Illustrated Forum, the Carving Tagua Nuts thread.
Save the Elephants, buy vegetable ivory carvings
I read a recent article in the New York Times, reporting that eBay will Ban the Sale of Elephant Ivory.
“In response to growing pressure from international law enforcement agencies and conservation groups, eBay, the online auction giant, announced Monday that it would ban all commerce in ivory, including most heirlooms, to avoid providing a market that will encourage the slaughter of endangered elephants.”
The fruit of the Yarina Palm, Tagua nuts, save the Elephants
If you are in Iquitos Peru looking for an interesting souvenir, hold a few pieces of sculpted vegetable ivory in your hands. Heft them, rub them, feel the smooth texture. I bet you will like the look and feel of them as much as Matt and I do. Or contact Matt Grimes to customize a special sculpture just for you. His email is; matt (at) dawnontheamazon dot com.
In this world of mass produced plastic nick knacks, a unique work of art carved from the fruit of the Yarina Palm will trigger the memories of your travel adventure to Iquitos Peru and the Amazon Rainforest.
Carving Tagua Nuts, the Vegetable Ivory, Save the Elephants
Bill Grimes, Iquitos Peru
I agree that one of the best things about the tagua nut as a carving material is the eco-friendly aspect. When the tagua nuts ripen the husk or “cabeza” falls to the ground and is easily harvested from the forest floor without any trees being cut down. Tagua also reduces the demand for elephant ivory.
I would suggest to anyone wanting to get really good at carving tagua nuts to carve everyday for as long as your schedule allows. While I have received some bad press for my home made tools, I strongly recommend taking the time to make your own. You can buy tools but they will be made for wood carving and will require some adjustments made to both bevel and profile. This is a unique craft and only you will know what size and shaped tool you will need. Happy carving, collecting or both.
Comment by Matt Grimes — November 10, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
Hi Matt, thanks for the insight on tagua carving. Your tools look very sharp. How long did it take you to do the great carving of the bird in the top photo?
Comment by Bill — November 10, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
I remember it taking a day to carve and mount the legs into the body. That part has to be done just right or there’s no point going further. Another morning was spent inlaying the eyes, beak, tail and finish sanding. I admit that I am probably the worlds slowest carver.
You should dig out that carving knife I made for you and go sit on the balcony with a nice block of some exotic wood and make chips. Now that would be relaxing.
Comment by Matt Grimes — November 13, 2008 @ 9:35 am
I don’t have to dig out the carving knife you made me. It is right here beside the keyboard. So far it has not made a single chip, but you are probably right about it being relaxing. I would be more of a whittler than a carver.
You’ll be pleased with the large sized tagua nuts Marmelita found for you. They are the biggest ones I’ve seen.
Comment by Bill — November 13, 2008 @ 10:36 am
Hi
i would like your direction of e-mail for sent to you some pictures about my work in tagua nut. Thank you.
Comment by Mike — March 20, 2009 @ 3:55 pm
For more images of tagua carvings that I have done and other information on the subject of carving check out my new blog.http://matthewgrimes.wordpress.com/
Comment by Matt Grimes — June 27, 2009 @ 8:52 am
Hi Matt, I followed the link to your blog about carving, sketching and watercolors. As you say on your blog, you are a “visual image guy”. Your blog can be built into a community of carvers and artists. I wish you the best of luck.
Comment by Captain Bill — June 27, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
I really enjoy to read your interest about Tagua and how your son have begin to develop this art in America. Wonderful figurines or sculptures from Peru, Iquitos. We also produce Tagua in Ecuador and as you have stated, this art is preserving the woods and the forests. You don’t need to cut the three to get the tagua nuts from the “elephant palm” and that means less forest is being cut in order to open land for cattle and banana plantations in Ecuador.
The Amazon forest is preserved, the rhinos and elephants in Africa and India don’t need to be hunted anymore because this is the “vegetable ivory” and the income generated from handcarved tagua sculptures,and goods is going directly to the artisans communities in my country.
I Love tagua, I sell a lot of tagua items from Ecuador in my web site: http://www.andeanamazontreasures.com
Continue with your wonderful job, you are teaching your son to do something worthy for the whole society and the mother nature.
Comment by Alessandra Thornton — October 3, 2009 @ 1:38 am
Hi, Have just recently learned about tagua. Your work is absolutely amazing. I live in Toronto. My daughter in Newfoundland is a carver. I’d love to get some tagua for her to try. Can you tell me where to purchase it? It seems you have someone who gathers it for you. How forunate! I’m sure it must be available commercially but haven’t found it anywhere yet, except in huge lots to wholesalers. Thanks for any suggestions.
Comment by glo — October 12, 2009 @ 7:54 am
Thank you Alessandra, I appreciate the nice compliment. As far as where to buy tagua, I can’t offer much. I have some thoughtful people get them for me. If your ever in Iquitos, they are plentiful. But from Toronto,I would probably search the internet. I don’t know which dealer would be best. I must warn you that carving tagua is kind of addictive.
It’s hard to believe that this article is only a year old. I feel like I have taken a giant leap forward with my carving since then.
I have a tagua frog carving tutorial on my blog that shows how I go about carving them. I wouldn’t share my secrets with just anyone……..Yeah I would.
Comment by Matt Grimes — October 12, 2009 @ 9:18 pm
[...] he immediately began to unpack his chisels and knives. You can see some of his work at this link; Carving Tagua Nuts, The Vegetable Ivory; and at The Matthew Grimes [...]
Pingback by Matthew David Grimes, The Artist, Has Returned To Iquitos | Dawn on the Amazon Captains Blog — November 24, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
Hi, I am so excited to find your site, and see your beautiful art. I recently bought some whole tagua nuts with the intention of cutting them into slices for jewelry. I had not considered that this would be difficult. Can you help me with some advice on how to safely cut them into thin (like 6mm) slices an drill holes through them?
Thank you,
Lindsay
Comment by Lindsay — December 6, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
Thanks Lindsay,
A safe way would be to clamp the nut in a vise and use a small toothed hand saw. I use a small coping saw. For the hole in the center any drill, rotary tool or small chisel will do. If you use a table or bandsaw be prepared for the nut to become a projectile.
Good luck
Comment by Matt — December 19, 2009 @ 11:56 am
[...] this year for a total of over 4 months, and he is still here living in our guest room. Matt is a great carver and artist, and his room is full of wood and tagua [...]
Pingback by Dawn on the Amazon Year End Report, 2009 Annus Horribilis | Dawn on the Amazon Captains Blog — December 31, 2009 @ 10:56 am