King Arthur was never central to Swiss local legend or folklore. But the Black Forest region of Switzerland was very popular with wealthy Nineteenth Century British travelers—each of whom wanted to take-home a handsome hand-carved souvenir of their journey. The hand-carved walnut corbel shelf, shown above, was likely made to appeal to a visiting British or European traveler. Brienz, in particular, was a popular (and picturesque) village, nestled between a turquoise llake and the towering mountains. This was the center of the Swiss Black Forest woodcarving industry—and a memorable point on many European Grand Tour itineraries in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries.
Walnut was one of the traditional materials used in Black Forest woodwork, especially for bigger pieces (including furniture). It is very heavy and hard, thus, it is best suited for those designs without ultra-fine carved detail (like the hairy, textured coat of a bear). While large pieces of walnut were required for big, sculpted pieces in the past, today's carvers find it much harder (and expensive) to find big pieces of walnut stock. Walnut trees are very slow-growing—and subject to occasional hard frosts and blights. Many of the contemporary trees are designated for nut production (thus, not cut-down for timber). Large pieces of walnut are a treasure of times past.
Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome corbel shelf.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.