How To Recognize Original, Hand-Made Wood Sculpture
September 27, 2006

Imagine this: you are in a quaint little shop somewhere in the mountains or at the beach, on vacation. You have been admiring a group of nice-looking wood figures on the shelf there, thinking about how nice one of them might look in your home. You know, right there in the living room near the fireplace, maybe even on the mantle!

Yes indeed, this could be the right wood carving for your home. It looks good, it’s of a figure that interests you, and it sure seems like a bargain. Is it an original woodcarving? Well, it MUST be, as this is the kind of art store that seems to sell neat-looking originals, right? Let’s look a bit closer, and learn about this woodcarving and the millions just like it all over the world.

Original vs. Reproduction Wood Carvings: The Age-Old Argument.

So this might be a reproduction, so what? Well, that is really a good point….if you don’t much care about the issue, then it probably will not be a big deal to you. However, if you DO care about the issue of Original vs. Reproductions, then to YOU it is essential to have an original piece of woodcarving whenever you have the ‘choice’.

After all, original wood carving, signed by the artist, is a joy and privilege to own. You know that it is a true one-of-a-kind. This is true even though the artist may have made other pieces in the same theme or style. You know that you will never see another one just like yours. You also know that, as an original, this piece was hand-made from start to finish. The artist took the time (often too much time) to add every detail, make every stroke personally, and perform each step in the creation process. There is not, and never will be an exact copy of your woodcarving.

On the other hand, we all know the limitations of reproductions. If you buy one for a special place in your home, you will never look at it the same way as you could an original woodcarving. You know there are hundreds elsewhere. You know that it was stamped out of a mill somewhere on a big machine. You also know that it is one in a million, not one of a kind.

A Bit Caustic?

Now all this rhetoric may seem a bit harsh to some, but it really is how I feel about art; wood carving in particular. I have seen lots of artists attempt to make the copies as ‘original’ as possible, by using tricks of the trade. Sometimes they will have originals copied, and then the artist will dab on touches of paint, thereby justifying the high prices he demands.

I’ve seen this in wood carving also. There is a process by which an original woodcarving is created over a long time; very ornate. A bronze cast of it is made, and then used to act as a template for creating hundreds of others, in wood, and then painted. Frankly they can be fabulous wood carvings!

Some sculpture is reproduced using a resin casting method. A cast is made from the original, and then hundreds are cast by pouring a wood-resin into the mold. It is a neat way to reproduced sculpture.

But, whenever I hold one of these reproductions, I know in my heart they are not original woodcarvings, they will always be copies. They do not hold the spirit of the artist, only the intention of the millwright that stamped them out.

That may be all right for many people. In fact, it has shown to be just fine for the mass populace of the planet. But for me, and maybe you, the original wood carving makes us feel the connection with the artist, and with what he was trying to convey at that moment.

Knowing The Difference

So, if you agree with me that an original, at a fair price is really worth having, I will tell you how to spot the differences between the two. Not only can this save you the embarrassment of having made a huge mistake in judgement, but also it can save you a lot of money!

Let’s go back to that shop in the mountains, or at the beach, for a moment to look at those wood carvings again. As you look at the pieces, let me whisper in your ear what to look for……..

Here are several nice woodcarving s on a variety of themes. A shelf full of them! Your eye dances over the line-up; there is an old man’s face; carved as a bust. Next to that is a small statue of a woman in a long robe. Then, there is carving of a Native American Indian. Finally, a very nice sculpture of a wolf and his prey. Each one of these wood carvings is painted in different ways, made of different woods, and even different sizes. Let’s begin with the first carving; the old mans face.

Now, a lot of this information is just plain common sense. Even as I write this, I wonder who is going to believe that ANYONE will not be able to tell the lowest level differences between original and reproduction….. but really there are lots and lots of folk that cannot tell the difference even on the most simple sculptures. Add to that the fact that factories make it their business to make copies as accurately as possible, and you can see that it isn’t shameful to be fooled anymore!

There now, having made my disclaimer, let’s discuss that first wood sculpture. In fact, let’s just talk about the ‘word’ sculpture as opposed to carving. What is the difference here? It can be as simple as price.

You know the old joke about the pronunciation of ‘vase’, right? If it is cheap, it’s a ‘vase’ if it expensive, it becomes a ‘vahhse’. That has always made me laugh. Well, it can be the same with wood sculpture. If it is cheap, it might be called a wood carving, if it is expensive, then it might be referred to as a wood sculpture. Sadly, there is a deal of truth to that. After all, art is strictly a perceptive thing. It’s all in how you like it.

Let’s look at the items in the shop today, and start placing judgement on them, making a list, to determine if they are originals or reproductions.

• Feel It
  Pick the wood carving up. How does it feel? Is it cool to the touch, or does it seem to have a warm quality? Is it heavy, or light? Does it feel smooth, or does it have jagged edges? Do you feel a ‘spray-paint’ finish, or is it smooth and slippery to the touch?
• Look At It Closely
  Think about what you are looking at. Wood grain should be visible somewhere on any original woodcarving, even if there is paint on the subject. Do you see evidence of a carving tool having been there? Do you see the tell-tale sign of a mold-seal along the sides of the item? If you see grain that is not painted, can you see ‘into’ the grain? This is almost a 3-D effect that real wood exhibits when viewed in a strong light. They haven’t figured out how to reproduce that yet!
• Signature, And More…..
  Does the piece bear a signature or mark of the artist? Some reproductions are so poor as to have neglected the all-important connection with the artist that created the piece. Does it have a “Made in China” sticker? Don’t laugh, some people don’t even look, and think they have an original. Is there a script that tells you the production number? Such as 30/1000. This means that this piece is the 30th piece that was created out of a production of 1000 pieces: not an original !
• Check The Attached Information Tag
  Look at the tag that is usually attached to an original sculpture. You should always examine these tags, and ask yourself, ”What is this tag trying to avoid saying to me?” Does the tag actually state that THIS piece is an original? Does the tag kind of waltz around that statement? Many dealers do not want to say a wood carving is a reproduction, as it will dramatically affect the price. People expect to pay less than 10% for a machine copy of a wood carving.
• Ask the Shop Owner
  Yes, ask the owner of the shop. A reputable shopkeeper will rarely lie about this, as it can surely come back to haunt him later. Keep in mind, if you are at a Flea Market, or a garage sale, your chances of getting the truth might be somewhat less!
• Internet Purchases?
  The Internet is a great source for finding wood carvings that you would never discover in your travels. When you shop online, use common shopping safety practices concerning credit cards info, and personal data. It’s not dangerous, just don’t do anything you would not normally do when buying something online other than a wood carving. Dealers of art and wood carvings are unlikely to attempt to take advantage of you online, as this is their livelihood also. Most will certainly offer you a return policy in writing. Paying with a credit card or even PayPal offers another layer of protection for you, in the event you do not like the woodcarving, you can easily return it. Once you get the wood carving to your home, you can then use all these tips to properly examine the piece.
• Do Your Research
  Above all, do your research! If you plan to spend $1,000.00 on anything, I am sure you will look into the subject deep enough to satisfy your curiosity. Conversely, most people can spend less than $50.00 on an obvious reproduction of a wood carving without having to spend days in research. There are too many resources available for you to say at the end of the day that you could not find any information on the topic. If you are like me, the Internet is the greatest resource of all, but even there, you must use your common sense!

So, there you are! Now that you have examined the pieces on the shelf, and you are satisfied that these are originals, only question that remains is, “Which one am I taking home?”

Chuck Hall is a wood carver / sculptor living in Fernandina Beach, Florida located on Amelia Island. He is the owner of Shady Oak Studio, and offers his wood carvings and wood sculptures via his website http://www.ShadyOakStudio.com, as well as art shows, and through select shops and galleries.

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