The Art of Woodworking

Woodworking is one of the oldest skills and trades in human history, with people using wood for utilitarian and ornamental purposes. Woodworking requires precise skill and attention to detail. Careful thought must be put into selecting the perfect piece and variety of wood, understanding the hardness (or softness) of the wood, and using patience to carefully sand and sculpt the wood into desired forms. Mechanized woodworking tools have made much of the initial production process easier, but the finish work still requires craftsmanship, particularly in finer decorative designs. 

Wood scrollwork and hand carving, in particular, require a steady hand and detailed eye. Scrollwork creates thin delicate designs in the wood, often through the use of a scroll saw, and frequently appears to mimic lace or other softer forms. Scrollwork can be a stand alone piece with clear spaces or mounted onto a backing board to provide extra depth to an object. Hand carving has been a popular art form for centuries, and is present in numerous forms and designs. 

A beautiful example of scrollwork within our collection is a bird cage created by Mrs. F. Aug. Langenhan in 1895. Multiple pieces were intricately cut and pieced together to form the sides, peaked roof, porch, and embellishments. Multiple designs are present over the cage. Small metal hinges were added to create functional doors as well as a small metal ring above the doorway. 

Multiple hand-carved items are present in our collection, with some of the most detailed work coming from Louis J. Claude and his former home at Devil’s Lake “Eagle Crag”. One of the items, likely from this home, is a decoratively carved shelf unit. The front drawers and one side of the unit are covered in various carved motifs. This form of hand carving often uses a varying set of chisels and a fine touch with a hammer, requiring a lot of skill from the artist. 

Both of these items, and other examples of fine woodworking, can be found on display in the Study at the Van Orden Mansion, as part of this year’s exhibit “Artists and Artisans”. The Van Orden Mansion is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4.