Master Carver Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) is famous for his breathtakingly delicate, intricate and realistic carvings, both in wood and stone. Tantalising cascades of fruit and flowers, puffy-cheeked cherubs, crowds of figures and flourishes of architecture are all trademark features of his energetic, animated carvings that grace stately homes, palaces, churches and colleges across the country. His work can be found in some of Britain's most beloved buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace. From his early work in the Low Countries to his 'discovery' by the diarist John Evelyn in London, and his appointment as the king's Master Carver, this book celebrates Grinling Gibbons' unequalled talent, his visionary genius, and his ability to transform humble pieces of wood into some of the most exquisite artworks of his day.

Accomplished carver Cleve Taylor brings the hard-working western cowboy to life in basswood. A combination of exacting detail and wry good humor make his carvings unique. Now Cleve shares his carving methods, combining hand and power tools, with you. Follow the detailed and lively instructions presented here to learn his techniques for creating western art. Each step is well illustrated with full color photographs. Once the piece has been carved, Cleve provides detailed instructions for painting and finishing the work. Patterns for four cowboys and a horse are provided. An additional pattern for a unique flexible wooden body pattern used to create a variety of realistic poses is included as well. The gallery provides perspectives of the cowboy carved and additional cowboys to fire the imagination and inspire the intermediate and advanced carver. The detailed instructions will make this book an enjoyable and educational challenge for the beginner as well.

The Gayer-Anderson Cat has been one of the most admired objects at the British Museum since its arrival in 1947. This book presents a detailed description of the cat and a discussion of its possible meaning and role in ancient times. Surprising new finds from scientific analyses are presented for the first time, shedding light on the cats somewhat traumatic modern history, from its acquisition by the British Army major and avid antiquities collector John Gayer-Anderson to its donation to the British Museum. The fascinating narrative is complemented by outstanding new photography.

The V&A's collection of ivory carvings from the period 1200 to 1550 is one of the most important in the world, and this is the first catalogue of it to be published since 1929. Together with the earlier volume, Medieval Ivory Carvings: Early Christian to Romanesque (V&A, 2010), the books make available over 400 pieces of the ivory carver's art, discussing in detail many of the most celebrated ivories of the Middle Ages. Included here are masterpieces from the most important centres of ivory carving in the Gothic era. Among them are the Salting Leaf and Soissons Diptych from thirteenthcentury France; the early-fourteenth-century Salting Diptych from England; Giovanni Pisano's Crucified Christ and the Aldobrandini Crozier from Italy; and the unique Wingfield-Digby Crozier from fourteenth-century Norway. Additionally, important groups of Virgin and Child statuettes, tabernacle polyptychs, diptychs, triptychs, writing tablets, croziers, mirror backs, caskets and the products of the Florentine and Venetian Embriachi workshops are catalogued. Appendices include a small group of post- Byzantine and Russian ivories and the results of radiocarbon-dating of selected works. Each entry provides a comprehensive physical and scholarly discussion that incorporates much new research; also included are carvings of dubious authenticity, which are discussed as fully as the genuine pieces. Beautifully illustrated with new colour photography, Medieval Ivory Carvings 1200 - 1550 is the authoritative guide to the V&A's collection and an accessible survey of the subject.

Comparatively easily mastered and needing few expensive tools or materials, stickmaking is an increasingly popular craft. This book examines tools and techniques; different types of sticks; materials both traditional and new; the microwave in hornwork; fancy sticks and miniature sticks; and jointing and finishing. Highly illustrated with colour photographs and line drawings "Stickmaking "is a fully comprehensive guide to this fascinating craft.

These four-legged friends of man have been a favorite subject for carving since the earliest years. From hunting dogs to the family pet, dogs have a special place in the hearts of people and Tom Wolfe manages to capture their personality in his own creative, witty way. Easy to follow step-by-step instruction, with color illustrations.

This book presents a personal collection of ancestor sculpture and protective deities, following the ancient migratory and trade routes of the Austronesian, Southeast Asian Bronze Age, and Hindu-Buddhist peoples. The author, Thomas Murray, has spent a lifetime studying this art through his endeavours as a peripatetic dealer, collector, and field researcher. The objects illustrated come from a swath of widely varied cultures from Nepal eastward to Hawaii, with the overwhelming majority from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Murray's eye is highly informed and based on an unusually large sampling of objects to which his experience and research have exposed him. The artworks documented represent some of the top examples he has acquired and retained over the course of a long career. They are characterised by sculptural balance and a harmony of line, as well as a rare quality of expressiveness. Each ranks high in terms of aesthetics and desirability within its own particular style as perceived by the art market and by other western aficionados.

Legend has it that the forest of the world are inhabited by elusive creatures known as "Wood Spirits." Tom Wolfe finds them everywhere and brings them to life in this delightful new instructional book. Using found wood such as driftwood, roots, and old beams from dilapidated barns, he leads the reader through the carving of wondrous, fanciful faces, that are both enchanting and beautiful. On a smaller scale, Tom also finds the Wood Spirits in walking sticks, creating treasures that are handsome and functional at the same time. Tom has been carving these Spirits for years, and they are constantly in demand. Now he leads the carver, step-by-step, through their creation, each step illustrated in beautiful color photographs. An extensive gallery is included, jam-packed with examples and ideas for the reader's own work.

Gargoyles are an architectural feature designed to throw rainwater clear of the walls of a building. Widely used on medieval churches, these water spouts were often richly decorated, and fashioned as serpents' heads and other fanciful shapes. Today, the term gargoyle is also popularly applied to any carved decorative head or creature high up on a building and this book is an exploration of all of these enchanting features. Written by an academic and stonecarver, it is the perfect introduction to this fascinating subject.
"Gargoyles" aims to provide a concise introduction to the stone carvings often found on religious and secular buildings in Britain from the medieval period to the modern. It will explore the typical imagery, some of the theories put forward to explain them, as well as consider the carvings within their architectural and social contexts. Incorporating recent and current research, the book will nevertheless be accessible to the general reader.

Master carver, Ian Norbury, provides a detailed guide for all craftsmen to discover the art of creating facial expressions in woodcarving.

With clear instructions and vivid color photographs, Al Streetman takes woodcarvers through all the steps necessary to release a wood spirit from a cypress knee. Using the shapes suggested by the forms of the knees themselves, Al carves both a complete Santa figure and a Santa ornament as the central projects of the book. Also included are a listing of tools used in the projects, directions for painting and antiquing the completed carvings, and a color gallery featuring additional cypress knee Santa figures to inspire the carver. This book will present interesting challenges to the novice and be a joy for the more advanced woodcarver.

A year ago Helen Gibson shared her techniques for carving the human figures of the nativity story: Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the wise men, and the shepherds. Now she returns to the story to complete the scene by carving the animals, of the nativity: camels, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Helen has a highly detailed style of carving that is perfect for this subject. The reader is lead step-by-step through the process of carving one of the animals. Clear color photographs illustrate every cut. A gallery of the other animals shown from every angle and patterns help the carver complete the set.

Woodcarving remains one of the most popular crafts in the U.S. and continues to grow in popularity. While there are many books on how to carve wood, including Taunton's popular How to Carve Wood (1985), this book provides inspiration for carvers through original patterns. Any carver knows that once the technique is mastered, the greatest challenge is finding clear, well-illustrated designs to carve. This book solves that problem by offering a wide variety of carefully detailed drawings of designs especially suited to carving.

Trained in European carving and drawing techniques, artist/author Lora Irish presents an extensive library of ornamental designs with a traditional look. Included here are classic ornamental motifs from 18th century and other period furniture as well as original designs by the author. The motifs include line designs, triangular designs, square and rectangular designs, circular and oval designs, S- and C-curve designs, mirror-image designs, and free-form designs.

The book can be used in number of ways: The drawings can be adapted to the carver's preference or used directly as patterns, easily enlarged by photocopying and transferred directly to the wood to be carved. The patterns can also be used in other woodcrafts including woodburning and woodpainting.

These ancient creatures from folklore have captured the modern imagination, including Tom Wolfe's. In this book he brings his creativity and skill to the task of creating a whole community of gnomes, bringing them to life from a block of wood. With each step illustrated in full color, Tom takes the carver cut-by-cut to a finished figure. The book includes a gallery and patterns for 5 other gnomes plus "gnome" accessories such as mushrooms and a cart. The gnomes are exciting projects, allowing the carver to add a little of his or her own creativity to the work. The step-by-step illustrations mean that even the beginning carver can end up with a gnome he or she will be proud of. In this book, Tom makes extensive use of the power carving tools that have found such widespread acceptance in the carving community. Tom uses them principally for finishing and detail work; carvers will find his techniques helpful.

"How to plan, carve and paint your personal totem pole."

This well-illustrated guidebook includes the history of totem-pole carving and its West Coast native traditions, techniques and patterns. It examines the historic and modern tools involved. And it also presents great ideas for carving a totem pole, whether with traditional designs or more personal folk-art motifs.

Carving instructor Wayne Hill reveals how to select the right wood and use the correct tools to best advantage. Artist Jimi McKee shows how to create drawings and templates in authentic West Coast styles. There are also special notes on the meanings of figures, along with many instructions on painting your totem pole and recommendations for placement.

A folk-art family totem pole will be treasured for years to come. This handy illustrated guide includes all the background and information required to create one.

This concise, beautifully illustrated guide explores the enigmatic Franks Casket, carved from whalebone in 8th century northern England, and decorated with scenes from tales both pagan and Christian, as well as runic inscriptions. Leslie Webster helps the general reader to make sense of its iconography and meaning, the processes of its manufacture, and its somewhat confused history - it was rediscovered in modern times in France, whilst one panel remains in Florence.

Santa Claus, elves, gnomes, wizards. These fanciful characters delight and mesmerize us. All of them are magical creatures, possessing great and wondrous powers. Tom Wolfe has a bit of this magic himself. In his hands a piece of wood, carved with the simplest tools, is transformed and takes on a personality of its own. They come to life. The projects he shares in this book are perfect for the beginning carver, or the person who likes to whittle for fun and relaxation. They also give the opportunity for the more experienced carvers to be creative and expand their repertoire. Whether the carver is experienced or not, the objects in this book are just plain fun and make wonderful gifts.

These enchanting chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales' teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks. They were found in the vicinity of Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, in mysterious circumstances some time before 11th April 1831. Various stories have evolved to explain why they were concealed there, and how they were discovered. This book takes a lively look at the many theories surrounding the ownership of the pieces, why they were hidden and how exactly they were discovered, and places them in the wider context of the ancient game of chess and secular culture of the Middle Ages.

'You will have a moment of quiet delight and a mood of introspection to carry you away.' Edmund de Waal Prized by collectors from East to West, Japanese netsuke are tiny objects of wonder that originated as utilitarian accessories for traditional Japanese dress. Over the centuries these small carved toggles, designed to hook over the top of the kimono sash, evolved into high-fashion depictions of all aspects of Japanese life. In this richly illustrated and highly accessible book, Julia Hutt draws on the V&A's world-famous netsuke collection to explore the origins and techniques of this captivating art form.

Manju netsuke have never been the subject of a book on netsuke. Many books ignore them completely and it is hoped that this catalogue will throw light on the differences between the manju and other better-known types of netsuke. Dr. Barnett was one of a handful of collectors of one particular type of netsuke, the manju. These were not widely appreciated until about ten years ago when interest began to increase and the exquisite workmanship and design of this group of carvers was noticed as an art in its own right and one which presents the artist with a challenge completely different from the more popular katabori netsuke, carved in the round. Dr. Barnett continued to collect until just before her death in 2000, by which time she had acquired some of the finest pieces to be sold over 30 years which will be presented in this book. Manju netsuke have played a small part in the many publications on netsuke, but there has never been a catalogue entirely devoted to the subject. The book aims to provide a description of each object and to explain the tales they illustrate and the sources of these tales, from literature and printed picture books. The range of subjects is wide and includes religious images, scenes from festivals, the theatre, historical incidents, folktales, classical literature and themes from nature. An introduction will include an essay on the history, uses and the collecting of manju in which the techniques of carving will be described and materials will be discussed. Artists biographies, a glossary and bibliography will be included. The catalogue will accompany an exhibition of many of the pieces in this collection alongside woodblock prints from the Ashmolean Museum's collection which illustrate the same legends and subjects. This will take place in the Eastern Art Paintings Gallery.

When first invited to give talks and demonstrations on carving techniques to school children, Howard K. Suzuki quickly found out that wood was not the most suitable medium. It took too long to show much progress in the limited time available. He decided to use bars of soap to demonstrate basic techniques on carving and sculpturing. Soap is an inexpensive and very desirable carving medium. Soon demonstrations developed into hands-on experiences for his students. In this book, Dr. Suzuki describes and illustrates with color photographs how to make safe and simple wooden carving tools. He demonstrates basic soap-carving techniques using several stepwise how-to examples, from a simple heart to a more complex turtle. Dr. Suzuki integrates art and science into his instructions and combines them to produce a super learning experience for children (of all ages) who do learn to carve through his methods.

Finest book for beginners discusses in direct language and no technical jargon what tools to use, how to use them and what woods are suitable for carving. 34 illustrated designs for creating cabinet panels, chests, doors, bookends, footstools, an ornamental mirror-frame, more.

In 1428, a devastating fire destroyed a schoolhouse in the northern Italian city of Forli, leaving only a woodcut of the Madonna and Child that had been tacked to the classroom wall. The people of Forli carried that print - now known as the Madonna of the Fire - into their cathedral, where two centuries later a new chapel was built to enshrine it. In this book, Lisa Pon considers a cascade of moments in the Madonna of the Fire's cultural biography: when ink was impressed onto paper at a now-unknown date; when that sheet was recognized by Forli's people as miraculous; when it was enshrined in various tabernacles and chapels in the cathedral; when it or one of its copies was - and still is - carried in procession. In doing so, Pon offers an experiment in art historical inquiry that spans more than three centuries of making, remaking, and renewal.

Engravers Gerd and Patrick Dreher are famous the world over for their masterly animal figures, each of which is cut from a single gemstone. In the early twentieth century, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather all cut gemstones for Faberge - mostly agate but also ruby, obsidian, aquamarine, citrine and rock crystal. Today, creations are still being meticulously made by hand using traditional techniques. The realistic miniature forms of mice, snails, toads, monkeys and hippos are designed by the two artists in multilayered and coloured gemstones so that, for example, the faces, palms of the hand or soles of the feet shine in an iridescent red-brown agate while the bodies are worked in the glossy deep black part of the stone. These unique engravings are today some of the rarest examples of the highest quality in craftsmanship, and represent fascination of the highest cultural degree in a world of increasing globalisation.