Early 19th Century Black Forest Carved Bear with Tray

Late 19th century hand carved bear brush from Switzerland. The bear is expertly hand carved and has a very whimsical look. Such an adorable souvenir, these were small tokens travel...

A 'Black Forest' Bear In naturalistically carved lindenwood, having glass eyes, head tilted aloft, prowls on all fours. From the Brienz Area. Brienz, in the Bernese Oberland, Sw...

Late 19th century Continental carved walnut bear / cigar holder. In the style of Black Forest, German, Possibly Russian. The complex form of a classic dancing bear on hind legs. Stan...

Classic late 1900s Black Forest Brienz work of art. This hand carved bear sculpture is a great example of the Black Forest craftsmanship in ...

A superb quality and finely carved 19th Century black forest linden wood bear hall stand with a cub playing in the branches above, the bear below with glass eyes looking up towards h...

19th century hand carved Black Forest clothes brush in the form of a bear. The bear is recumbent, and his face is so sweet - he will look good anywhere you decide to place him in yo...

This whimsical hand carved seated wooden brown bear holds a brass cup suitable for cigarettes, matches or even a small bouquet of flowers. Very detailed carving with tiny teeth and a...

Unusual 19th century antique carved Black Forest Bear with a brass brush and original glass eyes. It has a lovely original colour. Measures: Height : 24 cm Width : 9 cm Dept...

This charming antique Black Forest inkstand dates from circa 1880. Beautifully modelled, hand carved from linden wood, with mother and baby bear on a naturalistically carved rocky outcrop. The inkwells are in the form of a pair of tree trunks with fluted glass wells with carved lids and a useful pen tray in front. Condition: In excellent condition. As an antique item, it shows signs of use commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, the inkstand displays beautifully. Dimensions in cm: Height 15 cm x Width 23 cm x Depth 14 cm Dimensions in inches: Height 6 inches x Width 9 inches x Depth 5 inches History of Black Forest Carving The idea behind the success of Brienz wood carving was quite simple. After a disastrous famine in 1816 in the Brienz area people were forced to find new areas of revenues. Driven by the need to create jobs in the Bernese Oberland, an economically underdeveloped region, the Swiss government encouraged the existing resource of timber industry to liaise with the traditional wooden craftsmanship. It took some time to improve from home requirements to sophisticated designed arts but the process was supported by the rising amount of tourists visiting the region. Christian Fischer and other founders Christian Fischer (1790-1848) started self-taught from simple turneries (carved bowls and other articles of daily use) to unsophisticated regional animals and people. Due to his success and the interest of the tourists, other carvers started also following his idea of carving the pristine naturalism. The Swiss government supported these start-ups with additional training of apprentices at special trade school. Brienz School of Wood Carving In 1884 the "School of Wood Carving, Brienz" was founded. It became an important educational institution to strengthen and develop the artistic backgrounds and exhibit an area of creativity. During the years of war in the 20th century, the demand for wooden sculptures came to rest and led to the re-orientation in areas such as toys and carvings for constructions. Beyond that the Brienz wood carving articles had to face an enormous competition from abroad. The School of Wood Carving had to get through difficult economic times but in the late 1970s wood carving enjoyed a renaissance. A lot of young people searched for elemental jobs and added a new value to school education. Today Brienz School of Wood Carving is combined with the education of turner, basket makers and coopers. The school still claims high-quality standards and follows old principles with regard to future perspectives. Wild animals At all times wild animals fascinate people. The highland around Brienz has large variety of different wild animals. Bears are among the most popular models for carvers. On the one hand bears are easy to cut and on the other hand they have a strong symbolized image. The enthusiasm for bears in art...

19th century Black Forest carved monkey sculpture.