Black Forest hand carved Gnomes (c1820+)
Black Forest carvings
originated in the Swiss town of Brienz. From humble beginnings as a
cottage industry in the early 1800s and grew by the turn of the
twentieth century to become the industrial driving force of a whole
community. The carving industry was driven by the tourist industry;
Brienz, Luzern, Interlaken and other such picturesque resorts were in
vogue with the wealthy Victorians. Bears were particularly popular,
being the symbol for the city or Berne, but gnomes, musical boxes,
musical chalets, furniture, large and small, all figured in Swiss
carvings. The variety was immense, ranging from the religious, faithful
reproductions of Leonardo da Vinci ’s Last Supper to the amusing and
whimsical gnomes. Far from being ‘mere whimsy’, however, Swiss ‘Black
Forest’ carvings were exhibited at the London Great Exhibition of 1851,
Chicago 1893, Paris 1900 and at many of the other great international
exhibitions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Carved
wooden gnomes, bears, stags and other furniture and works of art from
the Swiss ‘Black Forest’
carvers stood alongside such great
exhibitors of the time as Tiffany, Galle and Linke. ‘Black Forest’
carvings were appreciated as truly great works of art at the time of
their creation and indeed enjoyed royal patronage. Today there has been
a tremendous revival in interest for them and the best pieces are highly
sought after and fetch high prices on the open markets.