Nature's Way . . .
Deer Buttons . . .
The 40 species of deer are the
only animals that naturally shed their bone antlers annually. The antler
is not "horn" but a true form of bone - the base is quite solid but
the upper portions of the antler are porous inside. Even at that, some New
Zealand stags (especially the pure or cross-bred elk breeds) can sport antler
that weighs from 8 to 12 kg in the "velvet" stage.
The new antler grows from bud to
full antler in 120 days. At approximately 50 to 60 days, deer farmers
humanely harvest antler which at this stage is a soft blood-enriched product
covered with a fine hair - called velvet. The "velvet" is
usually ground into a powder form and sold and exported for its medicinal and
restorative properties. The remaining base (commonly called a
"button") is then shed by the stag in early spring.
A larger set of antlers is
produced each year by an adult stag resulting in next year's growth of a larger
and heavier coronet such as the ones used for carvings and sculptures by Pacific
Carvers.
No animal is
sacrificed to produce carvings from naturally shed deer buttons.
And
that's the whole "tale" folks!
Photos
above are of a Wapiti Elk sculpture, private commission 2000. The
deer is carved from deer buttons from the collector's own herd.
The sculpture is set on a crystal agate slice and is mounted on a hand
turned kauri wood base with internal lighting beneath the stag.
