Wooden reproduction of family coat of arms | Heraldic woodcarving | Custom-made crests & arms carved in wood

Wooden reproduction of family coat of arms

Wooden reproduction of family coat of arms 

 Custom-made crests & arms  carved in wood

 ‘One could indeed say that heraldic coats of arms carved in wood have, to a certain extent, become one of my specialities.

I also really enjoy doing it; it is always a personal challenge to be able to carve a family coat of arms in wood. Heraldry is also a very interesting subject and I always look forward to starting a new commission for a heraldic coat of arms.

!!! CNC routering or even AI images of coat of arms.

As for the internet, it is important to remain vigilant: do not be misled by ‘good reviews’ or the appearance of images offered online. Many of these photos, supposedly from ‘colleagues’, are not handmade, but are the result of CNC machine production.

 For the true connoisseur, such works have no lasting value in the long term, as they lack the unique character and craftsmanship that distinguish hand-carved pieces. After all, authentic craftsmanship can be recognised by subtle details and a personal touch, something that machine production can never fully replicate.’

‘Every heraldic sculpture or bas-relief usually starts with a design or image that the customer sends me. In some cases, I am obliged to add a helmet and/or mantling to this design, but always with respect for the original. I don’t usually touch the shield and the crest. 

Several clients have had their coat of arms registered somewhere before coming to me and they believe that the version of the coat of arms on their certificate or letters patent is the only way their coat of arms can or may be displayed. That is not the case, of course, but I respect their wishes in this regard.’

‘It is true that a design on paper cannot always serve as a blueprint for cutting wood; the lines are slightly different, since they have to be translated into a relief design. In such cases, there is really no other option.’

‘Once I know the correct contours of the coat of arms, I can start selecting the wood. Sometimes planks are glued together or on top of each other and then planed and cut out. Sometimes a whole structure is needed.

‘For a high relief family coat of arms, the outline of the design must first be cut out: the mantling, helmet, supporters – and sometimes the crest as well – are then glued onto a board and a piece of paper is glued between the board and, for example, the supporters. This paper – usually a newspaper – later serves as a dividing line to separate the board from the finished component.’

Some years ago, when a customer asked me if it was possible too applied heraldic colors, I went in search of a specialist who could do this professionally. I ultimately chose a fellow craftsman who specialises in ‘writing’ icons and therefore also has complete mastery of the technique of applying gold and silver leaf. The heraldic colours and metals are applied in this traditional artisanal manner, if the customer so desires, of course.

Ultimately, the choice of a family coat of arms in wood with or without colours is a personal choice or matter of taste. However, options such as a family crest made entirely in gold or silver or using a technique that imitates a marble effect are also possible; the result – especially in the latter case – is remarkable and relatively unknown.’

 

 Custom-made crests & arms  carved in wood

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info

Gravestein Coat of Arms | Duplication of the Coat of Arms in wood | Miniature Family Crest carved in wood

Gravestein Coat of Arms, Original

Patrick Damiaens

Heraldic Woodcarver

Gravestein Coat of Arms 

(Dutch Family)

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 arms.

You learn about interesting people that captivate the imagination, all of whom have their own fascinating life story or family history. And for me personally it’s always nice to hear that my craftsmanship and quality are greatly appreciated.

Every heraldic coat of arms is different. Most of the time, it starts with an example that serves as a source of inspiration in the form of a drawing, an old sketch or some photographic material delivered to me by the client.
In some cases it occurs that the design for the family coat of arms is not entirely suited as the blueprint for the carving of it in wood. 

Some of the older families are fortunate enough to bear their own coat of arms. There are certain families who are in possession of a depiction of said coat of arms in wood. The Gravestein family is such a family. 
First I will give you some interesting facts about the coat of arms, followed by some information about the family.
The Gravestein family is in possession of a miniature carving of their coat of arms, which was presumably manufactured in the 19^th century. It is extremely well-carved by a woodcarver who really knew his trade.  

 
The miniature has a cross-section of 13 cm.
Seeing as how these depictions and creations of the family coat of arms in wood, stone or iron are always very special and popular, these tangeable artefacts manage to create an emotional bond amongst family members, which was the case here as well. Several members of this Dutch family have expressed their wish to possess this little trinket. So the idea was born to have a duplicate made of the original miniature and I was commissioned to carve this duplicate of the coat of arms in walnut.

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 in wood

the modeling

Sawing

 

Duplication of the Coat of Arms in wood

Finishing the helmet

Gravestein Coat of Arms

 Miniature Family Crest carved in wood

Family Coat of Arms Carved in Wood

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info