ORNAMENTAL WOODCARVER Patrick Damiaens: FESTOON CARVED IN WOOD | CARVING OF A GARLAND

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

FESTOON CARVED IN WOOD | CARVING OF A GARLAND | Carve A Baroque Style Floral Garland

A Baroque Style Fruit and Floral Garland

Patrick Damiaens

Ornamental Woodcarver

A Festoon or garland

Fruit, tied together in combination with leaves and flowers was a popular decoration in the Roman period, and also later in the ornamental decoration of the Renaissance and later style periods.

This form of ornamentation, decorative ornaments we can distinguish two different applications

1. A drooping form, In English this is called Clusters, "A coherent bundle of fruit and leaves' vertically suspended from a ribbon, and this (if necessary) repeating at the same ribbon. This 'Festoon' was widespread if more length than width were present to decorate. (Pilasters and pillars)

2. The festoon in pending form (most known) hangs from the two ends, is slightly curved and the present fruit and leaves are held together by a ribbon or rope. The correct name is Festoon or garland.

The 2 ends or attachment points are usually in the form of a rosette, button, ribbon or nails. Less commonly, in the form of faces or even skulls.

A festoon in the form of oak leaves, laurel leaves or even seafood tied together is another way which is very common in the ornamentation and decoration.

Origin

The origin of the festoon or the application is actually very simple, in the Roman temples were these festoons of real fruit and flowers hung on the friezes and columns of sacred places. These festoons of fruit and flowers were possible, specific conditions combined with sacrificial animals, skulls or religious artefacts.

This style of decorating was many centuries later (Renaissance) not only in sacred, but also in other (worldly) architectural buildings.

In the Roman period, the empty space above the festoon was filled up with rosettes, masks or figures.

Patrick Damiaens, Carving a Festoon

In the Italian Renaissance, these items were replaced on the tombs and ecclesiastical architecture by Putti.

The Renaissance transformed the appearance of the Festoon in a more or less modified form, but it was no longer possible to ignore these types of ornaments in architecture, decoration and furniture art.

Later style periods will each have their own specific characteristics and influence on this type of ornament.

In the present time of ornamental decoration, it is still possible to apply this ornament in a tasteful way , the following pictures show some possibilities, which were carried out by our Workshop.