Danish relief question

[Lotus65]

Hi carvers, I hope someone here can help with two carvings that my mother has.

They are likely early 20th century but it wouldn't surprise me if they were much older.

I'm mostly interested in the type of wood used (so I came here), so if anyone could help with that or lead me to some other sites I'd really appreciate it!

Paul

[NoDNA]

Lotus65, wish I could help on the wood, slightly has a Walnut look,, Hazel? Beautiful though, and the detail is great. There are several sites, you may try this one.

https://www.globalwoodsource.com/

Cheers
Chuck

[joepaulbutler]

I'm so far from being a woodsmith that I should even be making a statement,,,, but. When I was a kid I use to hunt arrowheads with a geologist that lived at Ordway. To me he was a sharp guy, I found a bunch of chips that looked very similar to the wood you have pictures of. He told me it was pertirfied palm wood????????????

[Brian T]

The carving is done in the tangential face of the block. That being the "side" of a tree trunk that you look at. The vertical marks are (multiseriate) wood rays, bands of living cells extending into the core of the tree.
I am familiar with the 60 or so wood species of commercial importance in North America. This is not one of them.

If you have a lot of time on your hands to look for this, you can peruse the Wood Data Base.
The Wood Database

[Dark Lightning]

I say it's a type of oak. But to be certain, can we see a view of the end grain, and the back(s)?

[arfabuck]

I have very similar oak carvings to your little Dutch boy. The wood frame is the same timber. Without microscopy I would say European oak ( Quercus Robusta ) circa 1920. On the other hand, not having any annular rings, it could be Ash (Fraxinus excelsior ).

[arfabuck]

Duh! Second thoughts looking at the girl. The medullary rays give it away immediately. Definitely OAK.