Skjerpe Wood Carvings:
Individually Hand-Crafted
by Howard M. Sherpe
Let Me Introduce Myself:
I'm a native of Westby, Wisconsin. I was raised on
a farm south of Westby. We now live on a corner of the back forty of that
farm.
I'm a member of the National Wood Carvers Association, Vesterheim, Norwegian-American Historical Association, and Sons of Norway.
I'm proud of my Norwegian ancestry, which has been traced back to the Viking Age, and want to carry on the Norwegian folk arts of my ancestors. I have carved mangle boards, ale bowls, ale hens, and other Norwegian items.
I decorate my carvings using the chip carving style of wood carving, and try to use Norwegian rosemale designs, old Viking art, and the art found on Norwegian Stave Churches.
I use the original Norwegian spelling of the Sherpe name (Skjerpe) when I do wood carvings.
Read what Wayne Barton says about Howard Sherpe.
_______________________________________________
Mangle
Boards
(Mangletrær)
Mangle Boards (called Mangletrær
in Norwegian) were long, flat
boards with a
single horse-shaped handle. They
were used to roll the wrinkles from linen cloth which had been wound on
a round stick. Mangle Boards could be very plain with very little carving
or very complex with wonderful acanthus or chip carving over the entire
board and horse handle. Mangle boards were also used as betrothal gifts.
A young man would make a mangle board for the woman he hoped to marry. He would carve a design on the top of the board. The story is that a young man would then hang the finished mangle board on the door of the house where the young woman was who he wished to marry. If she accepted his proposal she would bring the board into the house. If she refused his betrothal she would leave the board hanging on the door. The man could not use the same mangle board for the next woman he proposed to, so he had to carve a whole new board and design.
Because of having to continually carve new boards they say the best wood carvers in Norway were bachelors! I don't know if that is true or simply folk lore, but it makes for a good story.
Mangle Boards made from basswood measure approximately 24" long, 4" high,
by 4-1/4" wide. They have a chip-carved design on both the board. They
also have a hanger built into the backside to be hung on a wall.
Contact me to discuss
design and pricing
if you are interested in a Mangle Board.
____________________________________________
TO SEE A LARGER VIEW OF AN ITEM?
Click on the thumbnail version of the item.
Most enlargements have multiple designs & pop-ups.
____________________________________________
See Carvings
In Progress
Please click VIEW
to go to the page.
Bread Boards:
12" long, 7" wide, 3/4" deep, basswood. Free-form,
chip carved dragon design border and Viking ship or Stave Church in center.
SEE
SEVEN
STAVE CHURCH DESIGNS
______________________________________
Dragon Design Plate
10" basswood plate with dragon art found on the Osberg
Viking ship in Norway.
______________________________________
CUSTOM-DESIGNED PLATES:
I
do commissioned work, custom designed plates for weddings, anniversaries,
or other occassions.
Example of 10" basswood plates for the 25th anniversary of Dregne's
Scandinavian Gifts
in Westby.
Price based upon complexity of design
and wording.
______________________________________
Click here
to see
more plate designs
_____________________________________
CLICK HERE.
THERE'S MORE
WHERE THESE CAME FROM
OR CLICK ON THE ITEMS BELOW.
• Ale
Bowls
• Ale Hens
• Tine Boxes
• Boxes
• Stave Church Carvings
• Crosses
• Fjord Horses
• Norwegian Church Bench Art
•Sleds
•Birkebeiner
Carving
___________________________________
Each Piece Is Hand-Carved
Due to my workload, I'm not taking on any new commissions
at this time.
Norwegian
Wedding Spoons:
2012 Update:
No Longer Available!
Norwegian Wedding spoons, carved from basswood. They
were a gift to the bride and groom to be used at the wedding feast.
____________________________________
Rosemale Designs Carved on Spoons:
I have chip carved a Norwegian rosemale design on the
handle of basswood spoons.
_____________________________________
Birkebeiner