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Saturday 10 May 2014

GRAVESTEIN | Carving a HERALDIC COAT OF ARMS into a wooden panel | GRAVESTEIN Family coat of arms carved in wood

One of my specialties is the carving of Heraldic family coat of arms in wood. To carve a family coat of arms in wood is a bit of a personal challenge for me. Heraldry is a most interesting subject and I always look forward to taking on new assignments involving heraldic coat of arms and crests.
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Gravestein Family coat of arms carved into an oak panel.


A little while ago, I was contacted by the Gravestein Family from the region of Rotterdam (NL). They were no strangers to me, seeing as last year I already had the pleasure of carving a family coat of arms for this congenial family. When they came to pick up the last assignment, a reproduction of a miniature family coat of arms, they were so pleased with the result they promptly commissioned me to create a large wooden panel/cartouche with the family name and coat of arms. 
The assignment was to carve the family coat of arms in oak and to apply heraldic colours. The thought behind it was to hang the panel at the entrance of their home, right next to the doorbell. The Gravestein design and font type on the panel were designed by the master of the house.  It’s something I always find quite special, the interaction between the client and the craftsman. This helps give a more personal touch to the assignment.
Our inspiration for this blog item was a miniature heraldic family coat of arms in wood for the Gravestein Family.
 
miniature heraldic family coat of arms in wood


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The Gravestein Family
 
The family tree of the Gravestein family dates back to 1662 in Overschie (near Rotterdam, in the Netherlands), with the marriage of Ary Arientse Gravesteijn and Maertie Claes Euvergaeuw on 7 December 1662.
Via peregrinations through Vlissingen, Middelburg and Zutphen, the grandparents of the client ended up in The Hague.
When the original heraldic coat of arms came into the possession of this family isn’t entirely clear, but what is known for certain is that in 1887 the miniature coat of arms was already in the possession of the family.
The father of the client had research done by the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden as to the origins of the coat of arms.
The museum was able to discover that the coat of arms first belonged to a French aristocrate who had conceived an illigitimate child in Switzerland with a maid.
That would account for the diagonal beam on the coat of arms, as this indicates the lineage of a bastard child.
The heraldic colours are red, indicated by the vertical lines inside the two beams, and green, indicated by the hooked diagonal lines inside the beams. The bird on the shield and the helmet could refer to the recognition of a fourth son.
That concludes the short presentation of the Gravestein family.


Here are some pictures
Gravestein Coat of Arms carved into a wooden panel
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Gravestein family coat of arms


Family Gravestein coat of arms on a wooden panel


Modelling the wooden coat of arms



Carving a heraldic coat of arms

Gravestein Family coat of arms

Carving a HERALDIC COAT OF ARMS  into a wooden panel

Gravestein Family coat of arms 
carved into an oak panel.
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