This magnificent carving was carved at the turn of the century in Brienz, Switzerland. Life-sized Black Forest carvings are the rarest of all the pieces. The time involved in carving, the scarcity and cost of the large timbers and the skills required for such pieces explains why they are so highly sought after today. These carvings were almost always commissioned by wealthy Victorian and later Edwardian travelers.
A number of strolling bears are pictured in the book “Swiss Carvings – The Art of the Black Forest 1820-1940” by Daniels. Chapter 5 Sculptures. However there are no life-size bears photograph due to the rarity. We didn’t know a life-size bear even existed when we wrote the book in 2005. The only other known example resides in a museum in St Augustine, Florida.
