Two paragraphs and a picture in May Traditional Home and I was hooked! We are fond of wood at Casart-Faux Bois, Zebrawood, and Satinwood, but what David Esterly does with Limewood ( Linden, Tilia) is incredible.
Esterly admits, “It’s a killingly time-consuming occupation.” Although Esterly is a Harvard grad and Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate in English literature from Cambridge, he turned away from a career in academia to become a self-taught master wood-carver. His inspiration? The 17th century master wood-carver, Grinling Gibbons.
Gibbons did not stain his carvings. He left the wood bare which was an innovation of the time. Placed on a background of darker oak, the paler carved wood became the focus of the decorative scheme. Unfortunately, the Victorians had a propensity for staining the carvings and that is the state in which many are seen today. When a 1986 fire at Hampton Court Palace destroyed a 7-foot cascade, or drop, of carved vegetation, a Gibbons masterpiece, Esterly reproduced the work. He was at Hampton Court for a year. To learn more, read Esterly’s memoir The Lost Carving: A Journey to the Heart of Making.
I suggest you look at Supplemental Images ( a blog) that were not used in the book. You will also find here detailed explanation of the process for the carving. Absolutely fascinating!
– Lorre Lei
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