woodcarving

References

Images & Videos

Lega culture: initiation object

Makonde wood carving

Wooden thunderbird of the Haida tribe, northwest coast of North America, 19th century; in the British Museum, London.

Zande male figure

Discover wood-carving traditions handed down from past generations of the Northwest Coast Indian peoples

woodcarving

Also known as: wood carving

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

chisel — chisel Chisels for carving wood.

Woodcarving is the art of shaping or decorating wooden objects using sharp, handheld tools. It can also refer to the finished wooden object itself. This craft has been practiced since at least the early 18th century.1

While woodcarving is a specific craft, the general principles of carving apply across various materials, including stone and wood. Sculptors often act as both designers and craftsmen, with the physical manipulation of the material being an integral part of the artistic expression. For woodcarving, tools like gouges, chisels, saws, axes, rasps, and sandpaper are used to shape and finish the material.2

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lacquerwork
Chinese carved lacquer
The carved lacquer of China (diaoqi) is particularly noteworthy. In this the lacquer was built up in the method described above, but to a considerable thickness. When several colours were used, successive layers of each colour of uniform thickness were arranged in the order in which…
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The carved lacquer of China (diaoqi) is particularly noteworthy. In this the lacquer was built up in the method described above, but to a considerable thickness. When several colours were used, successive layers of each colour of uniform thickness were arranged in the order in which…
Read More

furniture
Decorative processes and techniques
…the first; that is, by carving and turning or by inlay work. Alternatively, the piece can be decorated by the addition of materials other than wood, such as bronze, ivory, or marble. Finally, in the case of furniture meant for sitting or lying on, there is the possibility of textile…
Read More
…the first; that is, by carving and turning or by inlay work. Alternatively, the piece can be decorated by the addition of materials other than wood, such as bronze, ivory, or marble. Finally, in the case of furniture meant for sitting or lying on, there is the possibility of textile…
Read More

Madagascar
The arts
The Mahafaly have a remarkable wood-carving industry, and their tombs of coloured stones and carved wooden posts are among the most beautiful on the island. The woodworking skills of the Zafimaniry, exemplified by their elaborate carved designs, are also renowned; their knowledge of woodcraft is included by UNESCO among its…
Read More
The Mahafaly have a remarkable wood-carving industry, and their tombs of coloured stones and carved wooden posts are among the most beautiful on the island. The woodworking skills of the Zafimaniry, exemplified by their elaborate carved designs, are also renowned; their knowledge of woodcraft is included by UNESCO among its…
Read More

pre-Columbian civilizations
Maya art of the Late Classic
A few wooden objects have somehow survived. Particularly noteworthy are the massive wooden lintels of Tikal, with scenes of lords and their guardian deities, accompanied by lengthy hieroglyphic texts. In ancient times, wood carvings must have been vastly more common than sculptures. The wet climate has also…
Read More
A few wooden objects have somehow survived. Particularly noteworthy are the massive wooden lintels of Tikal, with scenes of lords and their guardian deities, accompanied by lengthy hieroglyphic texts. In ancient times, wood carvings must have been vastly more common than sculptures. The wet climate has also…
Read More

Southeast Asian arts
Indigenous traditions
They retained the wood-carving tradition, begun in ancient times, even when they learned to work with metals and with stone; wood carving flourished long after the great age of stone sculpture and stone architecture, which ended in the 13th century. Proto-Neolithic paintings discovered in a cave near the…
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They retained the wood-carving tradition, begun in ancient times, even when they learned to work with metals and with stone; wood carving flourished long after the great age of stone sculpture and stone architecture, which ended in the 13th century. Proto-Neolithic paintings discovered in a cave near the…
Read More

Switzerland
Folk arts
Wood carving consists partly of chip carving for the decoration of everyday objects, such as milking stools, neckbands for bells, wooden spoons, and distaffs, and partly of figure carving, especially of Nativity figures. Decoration of house facades with religious sayings is widespread in Protestant Alpine…
Read More
Wood carving consists partly of chip carving for the decoration of everyday objects, such as milking stools, neckbands for bells, wooden spoons, and distaffs, and partly of figure carving, especially of Nativity figures. Decoration of house facades with religious sayings is widespread in Protestant Alpine…
Read More