Art Carved Feet Sculptures or Ashtrays France Circa 1970s

Large Art Carved Feet Sculptures or Ashtrays France Circa 1970s

Magnificent large and imposing Artist carved wooden feet sculptural ashtrays, striking variegated finish in shades of greens and each carved from single pieces of wood (believed to be Sycamore), excellent veined detail to feet tops and toes, never used as ashtrays, believed to be from France circa 1970-80s.

Woodworking has a long and rich place in our history, early humans used it, along with stone, clay, and animal parts, as some of the first materials they mastered. It still remains relevant today, as many objects in our everyday life are crafted from this sturdy form. There are a myriad of ways to manipulate it, one being wood carving, which itself dates back to ancient Egypt.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo contains a statue of a man from possibly 4,000 BC, produced from sycamore. This piece is one of the first in a long tradition of carved wood art, nowadays, artists continue to work in this timeless medium. Some, carve and treat the wood so that it has a smooth, cloth-like appearance. Others celebrate its jagged form and incorporate it directly into their work. Although artists’ approaches vary, there remains one commonality in their works of wood art—they each transform the rigid form into something that’s beautifully unexpected, reserve now.

Provenance: From a large private collection and estate in Malvern United Kingdom