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#1 ·
An inspirational horse and rider

Whenever I travel, particularly since I got the bug, I make it a point to visit somewhere that houses things made of wood by known or unknown craftsmen so I can fawn over their wonderful creations.

I thought I should start sharing.

A few years ago I had the fortune to take a trip to Ireland. We were using Shannon airport as our arrival and departure hub. The very last day of travel, we decided to go and visit Bunratty Castle. I did not want to go at first, because it's a recreated village and I thought it would be too touristy. However, I was pleasantly surprised. They have retained many beautiful treasures inside the castle. The horse and rider made me go absolutely gaga. It's nearly life sized. I believe it is early 17th century. My partner had to drag me away.

I imagine it is likely limewood, as were many sculptures of the day.



Hope you enjoy.
 
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#8 ·
A carved castle scene... in an Irish castle

As in my first blog entry, this is a thing of beauty I saw at Bunratty Castle in Ireland - wooden of course. It measured about 4 feet square (or so my memory says) and was housed near a window. My guess again is 17th century.



I cannot fathom the amount of work this entailed. There is a closer shot of detail I found interesting below. You can see some wear on the dogs - probably from hands reaching up and petting them (alas!).



I hope you enjoyed the scenery. Seeing work like this certainly makes me want to keep going.
 
#12 ·
Art Nouveau from the Musee de l'Ecole de Nancy

I went to Paris last year and made a point to visit the Musee de l'Ecole Nancy in Nancy, France. If you are fortunate to get to Paris - please DO take the 1.5 (approx) hour high speed train over there. You could even make it a day trip.

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Any of you with a penchant for arts and crafts will faint when gazing at the treasures inside this small museum. Unfortunately, no pictures allowed which I respectfully followed but you can buy a very fine book with pictures of most of the pieces in there.

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They let you get extremely close to the pieces. The most wretched of humans will go as far as touching the pieces which is followed by a "tsk tsk" from the museum staff. Do it a few times and they will usher you out. I got my eyeball merely inches from several of the fine works. My partner had to drag me out of there kicking and screaming.

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To get a taste of this museum, this is an oak door that is standing outside, encased in a free standing wall in the museum garden. The carving - "La racine est au fond des bois" roughly translates to "The root is at the base of the tree". A cute play on words. It was created by Eugene Vallin in 1897.



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The following is not of wood - but is a beautiful door which is the first thing you see when you enter the museum property.



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The pictures below are not mine, but linked to the musee de nancy site which I highly recommend browsing.

I saw this in person. Magnifique! Another of Eugene Vallin's works.



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I almost died when I saw this dining room. I want that!!! Again, Eugene Vallin.



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Another of my faves was Louis Majorelle (a sample of his work below). His pieces are all over the place and still for sale. I walked into an antique store in Nancy and could have bought one …. but it would have cost way more than my trip to France.



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I hope you enjoy this small preview of the museum.
 
#17 ·
15th century french coffers from the Musee de Cluny - Paris

Oak coffers that have survived the ages always impress me. In addition - the carvings are inspired. They are all french (though one I believe is from Flanders).
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Disclaimer on the photography: You are not allowed to use flash in the museum (though there seem to be many bozos who ignore the rules and do it anyway). The rooms are dark due to the tapestries… so I had to use the highest ISOs I could and count on props and non-shaky hands… and for the tourists not to get in as ghosts. Positioning was not always optimal due to available prop locations.

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Hope you enjoyed a peak at these. If you are into Medieval anything - this is a Mecca. This museum houses La Dame et La Licorne. I did not want to leave the sitting room.

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For those of you who like that tapestry, here are some pics from one of the tableaux. The lighting is EXTREMELY low in that room. I was amazed they came out so well.
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#23 ·
Writing room at Abbottsford

If you ever go to Scotland (Edinburgh) you MUST MUST MUST go spend a 1/2 day at Abbottsford - the home of Sir Walter Scott. For the lover of carvings, it's incredible. These are a few pics of just one room - his writing room or den.
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Sorry for the fuzziness of the next one. This was a carving in a chair. I guess I was so excited I couldn't stop shaking ;)


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This is a carving on the armrest of another chair. It's a little worn due to wear.


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Every corner seemed to have a special carving inset, as per the two images below.


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Enjoy the pics…
 
#34 ·
A few pieces from the Gdansk City Museum

It's been awhile since I posted anything so I thought I would start with a few things I saw on my recent vacation. So much of Poland's riches were destroyed during WWII, but they did manage to preserve a few gems and they have also invested quite a lot to rebuild and refurbish.
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When you first walk into the museum you are greeted by this beautifully carved staircase (roped off so no one can climb).

Lighting Wood Window Art Building


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A nice set of chairs and a table from the turn of the 19th century…

Furniture Property Picture frame Building Interior design


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... and cabinet in the same area.

Lectern Wood Chair Gas Artifact


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A bit of marquetry, Polish style.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art Font


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A very lovely chest that should excite fans of figured wood.

Wood Rectangle Amber Tile flooring Floor


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Of course, I HAD to take this picture as the item below reminds me of many of the cutting boards seen on this site ;)

Table Furniture Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


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Here are some links to information about the museum for anyone who is interested:

http://www.gdansk-life.com/culture/culturedetails/135-HistoricalMuseum
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http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/international/?lang=eng&oddzial=1
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360 Views of the Museum. Click on the film reels for "Ratusz Głównego Miasta Gdańska" which will show you inside this particular museum. The link below will set you up to see the staircase.
http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/panoramy/panorama_2.html

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#35 ·
A few pieces from the Gdansk City Museum

It's been awhile since I posted anything so I thought I would start with a few things I saw on my recent vacation. So much of Poland's riches were destroyed during WWII, but they did manage to preserve a few gems and they have also invested quite a lot to rebuild and refurbish.
.

When you first walk into the museum you are greeted by this beautifully carved staircase (roped off so no one can climb).

Lighting Wood Window Art Building


.

A nice set of chairs and a table from the turn of the 19th century…

Furniture Property Picture frame Building Interior design


.

... and cabinet in the same area.

Lectern Wood Chair Gas Artifact


.

A bit of marquetry, Polish style.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art Font


.

A very lovely chest that should excite fans of figured wood.

Wood Rectangle Amber Tile flooring Floor


.

Of course, I HAD to take this picture as the item below reminds me of many of the cutting boards seen on this site ;)

Table Furniture Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


.

Here are some links to information about the museum for anyone who is interested:

http://www.gdansk-life.com/culture/culturedetails/135-HistoricalMuseum
.
http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/international/?lang=eng&oddzial=1
.

360 Views of the Museum. Click on the film reels for "Ratusz Głównego Miasta Gdańska" which will show you inside this particular museum. The link below will set you up to see the staircase.
http://www.mhmg.gda.pl/panoramy/panorama_2.html

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That was very interesting thank you.
Best thoughts,
MaFe
 

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