Object Description
This is a stunning and rare Black Forest wall mounted carved deer’s head hat and coat rack with glass eyes and with branch and leaf decoration, Circa 1880 in date.
This gorgeous antique was painstakingly hand-carved from Black Forest linden wood.
Condition:
In really excellent original condition, please see photos for confirmation of condition.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 26 cm x Width 57.5 cm x Depth 13 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 10 inches x Width 1 foot, 11 inches x Depth 5 inches
Linden wood or Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Commonly called lime trees in the British Isles, they are not closely related to the lime fruit. Other names include basswood. The genus occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but the greatest species diversity is found in Asia.
The timber of linden trees is soft and easily worked; it has very little grain. During the Viking era, it was often used for constructing shields. It is a popular wood for model building and intricate carving. Especially in Germany, it was the classic wood for sculpture from the Middle Ages onwards and is the material for the elaborate altarpieces. In England, it was the favoured medium of Grinling Gibbons. The wood is used in marionette, puppet making and carving. Having a fine light grain and being comparatively light in weight it has been used for centuries for this purpose despite modern alternatives being available it is still one of the main materials used today.
The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald) is actually located in a triangular area that borders Germany, France and Switzerland and it extends along the Rhine River. The area of the Black Forest is approximately 100 miles long and 40 miles wide
Wood-carving was and is a traditional cottage industry in the region and carved ornaments now are produced in substantial numbers as souvenirs for tourists. Cuckoo clocks are a popular example; they have been made in the region since the early 18th century and much of their development occurred there. In the past singing bird boxes were produced as well.
Our reference: A3656