Sculptors are craftsmen and artists who create three-dimensional works of art from wood, ivory, and other natural materials through carving and other sculptural techniques. Since wood was and is by far the most commonly used material by them, the term can almost always be used synonymously with wood sculptor. There is no difference in principle between the two crafts, but image carving tends to be applied to small formats and, in keeping with the etymology of carving, to cutting rather than beating techniques. Nonetheless, the image carver will have to use both techniques, and the wood sculptor rarely forgoes carving fine work.
As a marginal area of carving, the term woodcarving covers the ornamental-decorative, usually relief-like, surface decoration of utensils, cult objects and furniture, but of course the boundaries between craft, folk art and high art remain fluid. Visit our Dolfi wooden sculpture collections now and be inspired from our phantasy to give wood life.