To be able to
concentrate on the essence of things and to enjoy creating your own
world, enables us to produce a limited selection of
unique wooden
figures with plenty of character, which have made the
woodturning shop of Bjoern Koehler renowned beyond the
borders of the Ore Mountain (Erzgebirge) region.
These wooden
creations differ substantially from the
traditional look of the Ore Mountain folk-art, yet its
artistic design is based on its long tradtion.
Maintaining the longheld traditions of generations of
wood-turners before us, our work is also done at a
wood-turning bench. Each piece is unique, crafted by
hand and stands on its own, yet all together they form a
cohesive ensemble .
The material we
work in offers many options - only local raw wood is
used - yet our preference is working sith spruce. It
requires a highly sensitive touch by the artisan, yet when
done successfully, it results in an unmistakeable texture. This makes each item look very
unique. That is the hallmark of our series -
the impressive grain of the wood and the high quality of
craftmanship wich showcase the minimal design of our forms to
its full advantage.
All figures, no
matter if whimsical santas, impish goblins or our large and
small nativity sortiment - are based on one essential form,
which is shaped by many artisans untill they finally achieve
the desired result. A special effort is made to finish
the surface, so one can see and feel its exquisite silkiness.
When all is done, these unique creation are branded on the
bottom with the trade mark of Bjoern Koehler's craftshop - a
distinctive sign of its origin. The effort to create
one of a kind design, while at the same time honoring the
old customs of traditional craftmanship have been rewarded
with several awards, for instance the award for design:
"Tradition and Form" in 1995, 2001, and 2004, given by the
Ore Mountain Craft Guild (Verband Erzgebirgischer
Kunsthandwerker).
What follows
hopefully inspires you - may you enjoy looking and making
your selection.
