The Seri Indians, who live along the coastal desert region of the Gulf of California in northwest Mexico, have used ironwood for hundreds of years. They have shaped it into musical instruments known as rasps, weapons for both battle and hunting, and kickballs for their racing games. 

The Seri had once built their economy upon fishing. In the 1960' s, Mexican shrimp boats began to work the coastal waters near Seri fishing areas. The dredging action of the shrimpers began to ruin the habitat for the fish the Seri were harvesting commercially. About this same time, a Seri fisherman had begun carving bowls, paperweights, and ladles out of ironwood and later sold these carvings to occasional visitors. It was suggested that this craftsman should turn his skills to carving likenesses of fish, birds, and animals of the region. He did, and found a wider market for his work. A visitor suggested improving the finish on the carvings by substituting shoe polish in place of kerosene and vegetable shortening. As other carvers learned the craft, still other visitors provided better tools, including sandpaper and emery paper. In the late 1960's, entrepreneurs from Arizona began to buy large quantities of these Seri carvings for resale in the United States. 

Ironwood is extremely dense and hard to work. It is so dense, a block of it will sink when placed in water. The carver usually works the wood with hatchets, files, and hacksaws, meticulously shaping and carving the design. Finally, after careful and time-consuming sanding, the craftsman then applies multiple coats of wax and the finished carving is polished to a deep luster. 

To maintain the highly polished gloss of your ironwood carving, we recommend the use of a good household furniture polish.

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