HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



tals, column bases, newell posts aud ceiling 

 and woodwork decorations. 



Each piece of carving is composed of but 

 one kind of hardwood. On fine grades of 

 furniture carvings of handsome design in ex- 

 pensive and rare woods are growing in popu- 

 larity, and the public is gradually being edu- 

 cated to appreciate the beauty of hand work 

 as compared with the ornate and over-deco- 

 rated articles made by machine. However, 

 there is no danger that hand carving will ever 

 interfere with machine-turned decorations to 

 any serious extent, as no arjny of hand carv- 

 ers could ever supply the demand for the vast 

 amount of turned goods used nowadays. 



The work of the carver requires most pains- 

 taking attention to details. No carver ever 

 has less than eighteen tools, which are used 

 on every piece of work he turns out. At his 

 bench he has a round, movable table that per- 

 mits him to take any position desired before 



his design. Several kinds of bench screws, 

 vises and the like are also important elements 

 in the work. Joints, such as making a small 

 part fit into another, are glued. There are, 

 however, any number of designs that are not 

 made up of parts, but are carved out of a 

 solid piece of wood. This is true, as it was 

 centuries ago, of figure carving and animal 

 and pictorial designs at present used quite 

 extensively on buffets and cabinets and other 

 high-grade furniture, and for the interior 

 decoration of churches. The famous carving 

 of St. John the Baptist was carved of one 

 massive piece of mahogany. 



Modern carving, while not as intricate and 

 elaborate as that of the old masters, is quite 

 as effective and artistic. Many pieces of 

 carving by the old masters are wonderful ex- 

 amples of handiwork, every inch of space 

 being worked out with carefully manipulated 

 designs. 



H.\XD-CAKVED FROM SOLID MAHOGANY 



The large halftone of the ebony cabinet 

 is typical of the carving of the old mas- 

 ters. Every inch of space is carved, and the 

 accuracy with which the intricate designs are 

 worked out of hard and unyielding ebony is 

 remarkable. The work is a wonderful monu- 

 ment to the patience and skill of these old 

 wood carvers. The cabinet now forms part 

 of the royal collection at Windsor Castle. 



The small illustration of the stool is of 

 modern French design. It was carved in 



IXTERESTIM; SI'KI IMEX of old carving, FLEMISH WORK IN EBONY 



MODERN FRENCH WORK IN PEARWOOD 



pearwood and was the work of a young French 

 artist, E. Bagu&s. It was shown at the Paris 

 Exhibition in 1900. The other cuts accom- 

 panying this article show carving in solid ma- 

 hogany done at the factories of W. K. Cowan 

 & Co., Chicago, to whose kindness the Eecoed 

 is indebted for their use here. This concern 

 makes most exquisite mahogany furniture, 

 much of it with hand-carved decoration. 



