Selected Works of Master Craftsman Buster Rose

All of the artwork and jewelry created by Buster Rose is crafted by hand and finish work is done with hand-held engraving tools. Everything he creates is one of a kind. Items can be made similar but will never be identical. Buster likes to get to know people to ensure that what he creates will fit their personal spirit.

Buster also does work with wood, metals, leather, silver, gold, obsidian, mineral ores (turquoise, azurite, malachite, alabaster, etc.), and gemstones.

The various colors of ivory come from different parts of the actual tusk…. whiter ivory from the center, yellowed ivory from the separations of the tusk that have been exposed to the elements, and darker ivory from the outer bark. Soaking the ivory in natural herbs, to enhance a particular area, creates some darker coloring. The Old Chief

Originally 22 pounds, this turquoise nodule is from the "Royston" Mine. The work was commisioned by the owner. From a picture in Arizona Highways magazine, Buster sculpted this remarkable piece. He first used hammer and chisels to remove the excess rough material. For the detailed and finishing work, he fashioned other tools as needed from pieces of broken carbide tools, because of the exceptional hardness of this nodule. Calling upon skills he acquired over the years while working with various materials such as stone, ivory, and wood, he worked over a period of seven months (not continuously) to complete the almost life-sized Indian head. The finished piece is 18 pounds. The detail is exquisite right down to the jocla earrings.

The Last Supper

This 40 by 44-inch carving was given to St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Buster had a deeply personal reason for making this gift to the hospital. Just as he was finishing this carving in the spring of 1969, his son, Dennis, then 13, had successful heart surgery at the old St. Vincent facility in Northwest Portland. It took Buster some 4,000 hours over three years to complete the work. He started carving the wood on the floor, but when his back gave him trouble, he built a tripod for the the 40-pound piece of wood. He said he never intended to sell it, even though a relative suggested that some church might buy it. He simply looked upon it as a challenge. He would go to sleep, wake up at 1:30 a.m., work until about 4. He had a deadline set for himself to finish it by Easter of 1969 and just about did himself in meeting that deadline.

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Buffalo Nickel/Silver/Turquoise	Mastadon Ivory	Peach Pit	Malachite/Silver
Turquoise/Black Coral/Silver	Turquoise/Silver	Fossilized Dinosaur Bone Marrow and Silver	Lady Walrus Fiddleback Maple wish Mastodon Ivory Tusks 12" Long
Walrus Black Walnut 14" L	Hand-carved Vermont Alabaster 8" T and 5" T	Mastadon Ivory	Mastadon Ivory
Copper Miniature Stove	Letter Opener	Mastadon Ivory

Some facts about Mastodons and Mastodon Ivory

For information regarding Buster's custom work, use the email link below.

eaglebrother@cs.com