Antique Wooden Statue of Wilhelm Tell, Brienz, 1890s

Antique Wooden Statue of Wilhelm Tell, Brienz circa 1900 A nice hand carved wooden statue featuring Wilhelm Tell and his son. It is a classical carving art made in Brienz, Switzerland circa 1900. Wilhelm Tell is a legendary Swiss freedom fighter. His story is dated to the year 1307. Since the end of the 19th century, Tell has been considered the national hero of Switzerland. The wood carving tradition in Brienz dates back to mid of the 19th century. People in the region were looking for new employment opportunities. They used their skills from traditional crafts, carving everyday objects and sculptures, and created a new business. Many woodcarvers where trained in the 'School of Wood Carving, Brienz' which was established in 1884. Around 1900 the wood carving industry counted ca. 2000 woodcarvers. Brienz wood carvings were presented on several worlds fairs with great success. with the Gran Tour Tourism wealthy people from all over the word visited the area and took their wood carving souvenirs home. Today some companies, like 'Huggler Holzbildhauerei' still exist and build traditional sculptures. Measures: Width: 2.76" (7 cm) Height: 5.71" (14.5 cm) Depth: 1.97" (5 cm) Literature Reference: Peter F. Blackman, Black Forest Wood Carvings, Atglen 2009 Jay Arenski, Simon and Michael Daniels, Swiss Carvings - The Art of the Black Forest 1820 - 1940, Woodbridge 2005.