Mammoth ivory is an exquisitely beautiful material medium reaching far back into our artistically creative humanistic past, and still touches us today due to the well preserved mammoths being excavated throughout Alaska and Siberia, and the traditional ivory carving artists. Most all of these highly talented artists have been uniquely trained by highly skilled and experienced senior artists.

When a mammoth is being excavated for the usage of its tusks ivory carvings, the tusks are rarely completely full, but instead may come in a few large sized pieces to many smaller shaped parts. Overall, there are an average amount of a ton to two tons of mammoth ivory is dug up, processed and distributed each year.

From the largest to the very smallest, there is no wastage of the salvaged ivory. Even the smallest of pieces can be used for decoration purposes of knife handles, jewelry, various types of artworks, and each slightly larger size discovered may be made into Netsuke designs, piano keys, scrimshaws, gun handles and so forth. For the larger ivory findings, those pieces will be individually sold just as all the other variations of tusks. It is in the larger pieces discovered, and that then they will be carved into very thin sheets for the sales to those with the artistic talents of water color painting sheets.

Whale ivory is another popular ivory used for many kinds of carvings and especially in maritime scrimshaw carvings. Whale tooth carving has also been one of the original materials for traditional and contemporary Japanese Netsuke, due to its beauty and hardness. Just as mammoth ivory, whale ivory is one of the most perfect materials to carve small and elegantly detailed items out of.

If you are the proud owner of any type of ivory, whether it is whale, mammoth, or elephant, proper care is very important for this delicate material. If a piece becomes slightly yellowed from darkness, wipe it down with a soft cloth that has been dipped in water diluted lemon juice. It is best to use half and half of each, and rub very gently to bring back the whiteness. If the ivory is combined with any kind of metal, do not get the metal wet with the lemon juice in any way. If your ivory is damaged by dark patches, take it to a professional who is knowledgeable in the proper polishing methods in a delicate material like ivory.

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The gas mask, a device to aid and protect the user from inhaling gas, smoke or other poisonous fumes, have been used for years by different people and for different reasons. The first use of poison gas in warfare began in Ypres, France on April 22, 1915 when the German army used chlorine gas to attack French forces, but gas masks were in existence long before that fateful date.

Miners, firemen and underwater divers all had a need for helmets to protect the face from harmful elements, provided breathable air and filtered out potentially lethal substances such as smoke and debris. It took a series of inventors creating useful products to address that need that resulted in the creation of the gas mask which went into full scale production immediately following the heinous attack by the Germans against the French.

Prior to 1915, gas masks were manufactured in limited numbers for firefighters, miners and to a lesser degree, deep sea divers. Obviously, the helmet created for deep sea divers had the additional task of keeping water from seeping into the mask, but essentially it performed the same function as the other devices.

Some of the masks created for miners had a similar hose attached to an air device so miners could breathe at depths where the coal dust was so thick that without the use of the mask, they would pass out in minutes.

The masks created for firefighters were the best of the early prototypes for the modern gas mask as they provided no clean air supply but rather ran the existing air supply through a series of filters designed to remove particles from the air and render it safe for human inhalation. This invention was the most produced version and then was mass produced for the army beginning in 1915 with only minor modifications to the filtration system to account for the removal from the air of chlorine gas and later mustard gas.

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Getting the right costume for your child can be quite a challenge, especially when you want them to wear something more special, a costume which will not be seen on all the other children. If you are still looking for that costume which will make your child the number one Halloween attraction this year, here are some examples which may help you make your mind up more easily.

Child Halloween costumes inspired by the marine world can be a great alternative to the traditional animal costumes. There are plenty of alternatives from which you can choose. Girls will look gorgeous in a mermaid costume, while boys will look great in a lobster costume. These outfits may not be some of the most popular Halloween costumes, but this is what makes them original in the first place. In addition to that, they are very colourful, cute, comfortable and highly suitable for a child. Even parents will love them, as they are easy to put on and take off, so that they should not experience any problems when dressing and undressing their little ones.

Older children would rather go for something funnier. Those who love animals will love to dress up in one of those costumes inspired by their favourite creatures. Yet, not many people like rats and would like to dress up in a rat costume. Thus, if you want an original costume, which will scare some people and make all the others laugh, you can choose such an outfit. If you are going to purchase this costume for your child, make sure they do not have anything against it, but would rather like to try such a costume. There are mouse and rat outfits which are designed in such a way as to be funny and good looking and even though they are inspired by those nasty animals, they look great. Your child will be the cutest rat you have ever seen!

If you want to pair up with your child's costume, you can choose the adult version of the rat trap costume. You will make quite a pair together and a very funny one as well. With such costumes you can be sure that you will have a unique appearance no matter where you go.

Rat and lobster inspired costumes are a great ways to dress up your children in original costumes, which will attract attention but which will also be extremely comfortable and easy to wear. Check them out and see if your child likes the idea!

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