Info Please?

[lionking]

hello everybody,hope you had a great holiday and wish you a great new year.I have a couple questions if you could help me please.I have done some searching on the net but came up empty handed with answers.So since Im familiar with forums I thought this may be a good place to ask.
I personally am not a woodcarver,but my great grandfather was,and he did some remarkable pieces.He was from Germany BTW.I would like to know if you could tell me some info on his work,what is the style of it called?Also,any possibilty of were to find out the potential worth of the art.They are staying in the family but for insurance purposes I wiuld like to find out some kind of idea what they might be worth,though I know it might be subjective.
Here are some sample pics,there is no painting involved,he used different types and shades of wood to bring together his works.This one is dated 1919.I have a few more.
thanks

[Hugh]

Hi, I have saved your photos to my computer, lightened them up so as to see the detail. They look fantastic, and I believe that the style is called Intarsia. A person that inherited one of my Hawk carvings put it on ebay with a very high reserve. He didn't want to sell it, only to find an estimated value. It cost him the listing price of the bird, but cheaper than an appraisal. The first thing that comes to mind on appraisal for an antique is the Antiques Road Show. There is an online site, comparable to the road show, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/

[Callynne]

Hi Lionking, best wishes for the New Year to you and yours also! I don't have any advice on your Grandfather's carving, I just wanted to say how remarkable it is!! What an artist he was! Please let us know what you find out. Thanks for sharing it with us! Deborah

[brian-bailey]

Hi lionking,

Your grandfather's beautiful work appears to be Marquetry.

Here's a link for more information on this form of art.


http://www.marquetry.org/

[cut up]

It appears to me that the picture is made of different wood veniers of the same thickness.
If the different wood pieces are veniers, then I think it would be considered marquetry. The same method used in decorating furniture years ago.
Intarsia is along the same line, but most of the time uses different thicknesses of wood to give it a 3 dimensional effect somewhat like a relief carving. There are some exceptions. I haven't done any marquetry, but have a little experience in intarsia.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Yes, that is indeed marquetry....an art in itself....I have done a couple of small ones, but nothing.....nothing to that scale....as for price...I would think for you and your family it is priceless!

[BobD]

If we were in Europe, it would still be called intarsia; across the pond, intarsia and marquetry are used almost interchangably.

Intarsia as referring to the 3d work we see in the states is really based on Judy Gale Roberts; she coined the phrase intarsia as it refers to her work. But historically, intarsia is closer to marquetry. I'd post this on the Scroll Saw Workshop message board as well! Those guys and gals overthere would love it as well!

www.scrollsawer.com

Bob Duncan
Wood Carving Illustrated (and Scroll Saw Workshop)

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

The way it is described in the dictionary is intarsia is inlaid wood (brief version) or cloth that is embroidered and is visible from both sides.... and marquetry is inlaid, ivory, wood etc and adhered to wood base...different and really has nothing to do with Judy Gail Roberts

[brian-bailey]

I've done marquetry and have looked at a lot of intarsia, I would be hesitant in saying that they are the same.

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...tachmentid=809

http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.co...tachmentid=810


But I quess technically, the above marquet rose was inlayed into the lid, so it could be considered intarsia.

IMO, marquetry uses thin pieces of wood to control the hues, values, and perspective to fool the eye into seeing a 3-d image on a 2-d surface.

Whereas intarsia uses thicker wood shaped and fitted to give a 3-d appearance.

[wade clark]

I couldn't agree with any of you more...or...less, more or less!
The value: Any item is only worth what someone will pay for it. Being an Auctioneer,my humble opinion, based on lots of experience, is that in front of one crowd it might be a $200 piece; in front of another it might bring $2500 or more. But, on the other hand, since it has such history and the family will never part with it, it is truly priceless!
If you brought it in my door wanting to sell it, I'd gladly pay $300 for it. I collect old wood carvings, but not along any theme.
Be careful! If you put a price on it, you may lose part of your history, which is more valuable than any amount someone would offer. Don't risk losing something so precious! Consider the meditation that your Grandfather put into it! What a treasure!
Wade