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Hand Carved wooden Figurines Mankind's Original and most prolific timber Art form
Carving which involves shaping wood into various articles or objects has been practiced by humans for many centuries and is considered one of the oldest forms of craft. Carving wooden figurines and collectibles is probably the oldest form of art.
To examine mankind's penchant for hand carved figurines as a form or art we look at the main forms of carved figurines found from our past.
Ancient hand carved wooden figurines have not survived the ages of course. However In the 1990's two wooden carvings were found in the cave of Es Mussol located in the cliffs on the NW coast of Menorca, close to Ciutadella. These models represented two male faces, one of which had animal features possibly goat horns. These were carbon-dated to 1200 BC. Both items are the most important archaeological finding of figurines in recent years in Europe, since the oldest wooden carved item known up to this point was dated 830 BC and was found in Ireland, clearly linked to the Celtic culture.
A more recent and one of the most elaborate examples of collectibles in timber figurines are in Notre-Dame at Amiens, the largest cathedral in France. The 110 stalls of the choir represent the most beautiful example of wood sculpture existing in France. Used as seats for the canons, it took no less than fourteen years for the chest makers and figurine carvers of Amiens to carve the 4,000 figurines.
A clear example of mans age old extent of figurine carving can be taken from the Venus Figures from the Balzi Rossi. These statues represent the largest series of stone figurines found in one place in Western Europe, and the pieces can be traced back to the Gravettian chronology and culture (28,000 years BC). Other than the Mask, all of these carvings can be seen as variations on collectables of the Palaeolithic Venus, a model now recognized as fundamental to the artistic repertoire of the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic period. Research shows that this figurine occurs, with regional variations, widely distributed all over Europe.
In most cases, the figurines are miniature sculptures of well-rounded female nudes, fashioned - depending on the area - from antler, ivory, or soft stone, and sometimes fired clay. Little attention was paid to the rendering of the legs, arms, and the head, which, is often faceless or missing. However they portray a clear over emphasis of the fleshy parts of the body (stomach buttocks, and chest) and, at times, an explicit cvarved portrayal of sexual attributes. A number of statuettes, show engraved details in the headgear, hair and clothes.
Many ceremonial figurine artifacts decorated with tin, gold, silver, rock crystal, ivory, alabaster, and lapis lazuli come from the Hittite era in central Turkey. The Hittites were considered heirs to a metal technology which had unparalleled development in Anatolia since the eighth millennium BC. The highland regions of Anatolia, rich in natural resources, were among the earliest places where metallurgy developed. From this region, metallurgy advanced in the Near East and from here metallurgical technologies eventually spread to neighbouring Mesopotamia and Syria. Finds include small metal figurines, and ornamental jewellery made of iron.
Today figurines are still made all over the world. They are perhaps mans most admired expressions of art as well as his oldest and most used art forms. Human art and figurines have mainly focused on humans and animals in both abstract and reality creations as many artists over the ages have strived to capture and express the spirit of life in figurines.
Whilst a multitude of cheap machine manufactured masonry and plastic compound figurines have flooded the world markets in recent years, they lack unique artistic merit and so now, having been dumped on the markets by the manufacturers, are piled up unsold in many retailers shelves.
Of course the most valued figurines remain those hand carved from natural products such as stone, bone ivory & selected woods. Great figurines display the beauty of nature's material as well as a unique artistic creation every time. Each figurine a work of art, collectible, a representation of the artist's effort captured in time and respected and valued by the owner.
Since Ivory and good quality stone are becoming much less available these days, the majority of really good figurines being carved today continues to be those carved from wood, particularly the fine hard grades of timber. Probably the most famous wood carvers of the modern era are the Balinese wood carvers.
Recent generations of Balinese carvers have graduated from carving Balinese and religious figurines and decorative adornments to being masters of the art of timber carving in all of its forms. Their most prolific works in recent years have been the amazing array of hand carved timber animal figurines. Amazing animals in both polished natural finishes and hand painted finishes, which are now sold all over the world.
Akcent Giftware has commissioned a range of Native Australian animal other animal figurines (including African) and some human figurines from selected Balinese timber carvers. In recent years the firm had added more and more wooden animal figurines including native Australian and African animal figurines to their wholesale catalogue. Please view our on-line catalogue using the link above.
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