Carving

a branch of sculpture from which it is distinguished by the use of soft material, as ivory and wood. A walkingstick with a carved ivory head was an indispensable part of the equipment of a Babylonian gentleman. The Greeks employed carved ivory in the construction of their statues and colossal gods. The remains of early Christian art, whether in ivory or wood, are richly carved. The finest specimens of woodcarving, however, are to be found in the altar work, pews, doors, chairs, tables, and halls of the medieval churches, and in the homes of the merchant princes. Ravenna, Prague, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Antwerp, Bruges, and, generally speaking, the cathedral towns and the cities of the Hanseatic League have richly carved woodwork. Oak carvings are a feature of the stairways, halls, and pews and altar work of old English houses and churches. Westminster Abbey possesses some fine carvings, both medieval and modern. Germany has ever excelled in this branch of art. The Black Forest region still maintains its reputation for carved work of artistic merit, as well as for toys, parlor and hall ornaments, and for clock work. The establishment of manual training schools bids fair to create a revival of interest in wood work of this sort. See Sculpture