Blog tagged "Noah's Ark" | My Growing Traditions

Christian Werner's Large Noah's Ark

Posted on September 02, 2015 | 0 Comments

We are pleased to now carry Christian Werner's wonderful Large Noah's Ark.

The Erzgebirge folk art world has produced "toy" Noah's Arks since the mid-1800s. During the 18th and 19th centuries thousands of Noah's Arks made their way into American and European homes. Today, Reifendreher (ring-turner) Christian Werner is renown for making the most exquisite Noah's Arks in the Erzgebirge. Werner has perfected the Ark itself. Using old factory pattern books, he has created an Ark that is reminiscent of the classic early ones found in an 1840s catalog.

We offer his Ark as a "complete set" - the Ark, Noah and his Wife, and 12 detailed animal pairs: sheep, pigs, elephants, rooster and hen, dogs, bears, cows, giraffes, cats, horses, camels, and doves. Or buy the Ark alone and create your own set.

The ark opens to stalls under the roof and space in the hold to display and store your animals.

Ring-turned animals have been made for generations. As the wooden ring turns,

the Reifendreher meticulously uses chisels to create precise grooves in the moist fir wood. The raw shapes of each animal, the Tiger here being an example,

are sliced off the wooden ring using a hammer and knife. The toy maker's skilled hands carve the animal's final shape, embellish it with tails and ears, and finally they are painted by the workshop's artists.

The ark measures approximately: 20" long x 13-1/2" high x 7-1/2" wide.

Build your own and/or find additional animals - Pairs (2 x 2) or One Alone (1 x 1)

An incredible classic piece of Folk Art.

Posted in Christian Werner, German Folk Art, German Traditions, Noah's Ark