It is widely thought that Black Forest carvings and wares originated in Germany, but it was actually the Swiss who first began the carvings in the 1800′s in Brienz. The master carvers achieved worldwide recognition and critical acclaim courtesy of numerous exhibitions during the second half of the 19th Century with increasing demand for portrayals of animals such as bears, stags, eagles and dogs. More recently, the Black Forest genre has seen an increasing emergence of specialist dealers, auctions and collectors, and with increasing knowledge on the subject comes a more discerning buyer. Mediocre examples will command a modest price whereas top-class examples with fine-quality carving, detailed expressions, and little or no damage demand a significant premium and are promptly snapped-up where available. Take the example of “Bruno” below, who we consider to be a high quality example of Black Forest carving. Standing approx. 14″ tall, Bruno is a tobacco jar in excellent condition with no damage and carving of exceptional detail and quality…that’s our view, see what you think….

Full Profile

Bruno - Lift up lid