Artistic Wood-carving

Different kinds of flat carving technique, elements of ornaments, principles of ornamental composition construction, ways of making instruments for their construction have been passed from father to son, from grandfather to grandson since ancient times in Hutsul regions.

The complex of woodcarving and incrustation is rich and various. By means of elements of carving popular masters compose ornamental themes, interesting compositions. They select and skillfully combine these elements into the whole. Almost there are no ornamental themes which are losing their meaning and are forgotten by the masters. Sometimes new themes appear conforming with traditional ones. New elements Hutsul carving and incrustation traditions popular masters develop them according to the time demands.

Hutsul woodcarving and incrustation is in ornament plates, in album and book coverings with portraits of famous people and topic pictures. For carving and incrustation Hutsul master widely use wild pear-trees of 40–50 years old, which have rich colours — from light golden to dark brown. Besides pear-trees also use maple-trees, apple-trees, cheery-trees, nut-trees, cedar-trees, time-trees, alder-trees, yen-trees and other.

Carving works are very seldom painted. As the structure and colour of different kinds of wood are various so the some fragmentary themes made on different sorts of wood become very peculiar. Carving is not the single artistic treatment of the wood in Hutsul region. They also use different wood in colour incrustation (of natural and painted tints), nacre incrustation, tin incrustation, wire incrustation, coloured beats incrustation and horn incrustation. Such ornament is distinguished by the wealth of colour, forms and rhythms.

The dwelling interior is decorated by the woodcarving which gives it expressiveness and warmth.