Collection: Nkosi Jubane - Limited Artisan Series

My name is Nkosilathi Jubane, I live and work in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa. I developed the love for art at the age of seven, and I believe I inherited the gift from my mother whose hobby was sketching. I tried my hand in scrimshaw on black serpentine stone for the first time, my first work was a success. Scrimshaw was the name given to handiwork created by the whalers, made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It was most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of Sperm Whales, the baleen of other Whales, and the tusks of walruses. It took the form of elaborate carvings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted using the pigment, or small sculptures made from the same materiel. The making of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1817 to 1824 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artist. A maker of scrimshaw is a scrimshander. In 2007 I was honored to become a member of the Knifemaker’s Guild of Southern Africa as an associate member specializing in Scrimshaw. I am very proud to be a member of this prestigious guild. I normally use as my ‘canvas’ ivory substitutes, animal bone like cow, sheep and so on. I like doing both color and black and white scrimshaw , using line and stippling methods. I discovered that the best canvas for scrimshaw is knife handles. I continue attending knife making  courses hosted by other master craftsman in order to continue growing and honing my skills. I would like to Thank God for saving my soul by way of new birth. I am proud to be a Christian.