Carved Furniture, Heraldic Crests & Wood Sculpture
Custom furniture, Heraldic Crest, or architectural woodwork, designed and carved to match any carver’s hand or style, from Medieval, to flamboyant Baroque, or restrained Renaissance, or Modern. We match period style, even the hand of an individual carver. All carving is done by hand, by our prolific, exceptional craftsmen. We can carve to match existing furniture, or create unique furniture or sculptures for you. We also design, and create shop drawings for approval prior to carving.
Initial carving of solid oak blank
Sketch made prior to carving to layout work
Continued carving of solid oak blank
Roughing in of cherub face
Initial carving of solid oak blank
The pew end was part of a 1905 Church and had typical Neoclassical details for the period. Grapes, anthemion leaves, Scrolls, Bellflowers, and the Putto face with wings were all part of the design.
This loveseat was created similarly to the techniques made popular by Wendell Castle, laminating layers of solid wood, walnut for the piece below. While Wendell Castle used a chainsaw to rough shape his sculptures, we mostly use chisels and gouges. Our gouges are forged by our blacksmith, to meet special requirements for our carvers. The mallets are made in our shop too, our carvers can beat a mallet to death in a few days, even of the hardest woods like black locust or ipe.
Laying up the wood prior to carving. solid walnut
Every blow with unerring precision
Work continues, connection of the base to seat begins
Short of the final result
The final result is a Campbellsloft design.
Heraldic Crests are as old as family Geneology, and spans many of the world’s cultures. They derive before Medieval European Heraldry, back to Roman history, and the Ancient Egyptians had their own Ruins and symbology
Japanese Kamon dating to 1185, and Chinese Armorial dating back to 1046 B.C., and Korean Munjang emblems dating back to 2334 B.C. all distinguished families from each other. Olek can custom carve wooden Heraldic Crests, Kamon, and Chinese Armorials to preserve your family heritage. Olek will faithfully replicate your Heraldic Crests, in wood of any species, and applying appropriate paint colors or gilding to preserve your heritage.
