Product Information

Over 350 items are stocked in pine wood with an ever-expanding range available in ash, oak, cherry, maple and red cedar.

All items are available from stock and are shipped from our warehouse within 48 hours, subject to payment and availability.

Carvings are supplied direct from the carver’s hand. Some light preparatory sanding may be required to achieve your desired level of finish. Natural wood is characterised by variations in grain and colour. Some evidence of mineral staining may occasionally be apparent.

Store all carvings in their original packaging in cool, dry conditions away from direct sunlight prior to installation and ensure prompt and efficient sealing of their surface thereafter.

Items are easily attached to your woodworking project (See Fixing and Finishing section) and can be finished using your choice of wax, wood stain, varnish, paint or gold leaf. We strongly recommend that if your item is to be used outside that it should be sealed and then painted before fitting, preferably using multiple coats of oil based paint.

Larger items are best assembled as components into your joinery project using adhesive, screw fittings or mortice and tenon as appropriate to your method of work. For extra large carved items we always recommend using two fitting methods such as wood glue and screws or nails.

Hints & Tips

The following documents may be obtained as downloadable PDF files here.
(Right click the image and select Save As to download the file or click to open the PDF file in your browser)

If you don’t have Adobe Reader you can download it here Download Adobe Reader

Glossary

Applique
Any form of applied ornamentation that is made separately then attached to the object.

Acanthus leaf
Stylized design of the spiky leafed acanthus plant that is native to the Mediterranean. A conventional Greek decoration that lends itself to the natural grain of woodcarving. Frequently found on 17th & 18th century furniture.

Armoire
A cupboard of majestic proportions, principally understood to refer to a wardrobe . A word, derived from the French language, that takes its root from the original use of such cupboards for the storage of weaponry and armor.

Ball & Claw
The foot of a cabriole leg in the style of eagles claw encircling a ball.

Bracket
A projecting support fixed to a vertical surface to support a shelf or mantel.

Breakfront
Façade of a bookcase or bureau, where the central section protrudes symmetrically forwards of the side sections.

Buffet
Originally a heavy table of the 17th Century, placed against the wall for the display of plateware and the service of food that evolved to become a sideboard or low recessed cupboard with more than one tier of shelving.

Cabriole
A gracefully curved leg, loosely based upon the shape of a capering goat’s leg that was popularized in the Queen Anne Era of the early 18th century.

Cabochon
A plain, round or oval motif that is enclosed within the centre of ornamentation.

Capital
The uppermost part or head of a column, pillar or pilaster. Originally in the shape of an open lily leaf when supporting the temples of ancient Egypt but later stylized by the Hellenic artisans of Corinth and Ionia.

Case furniture
A general term referring to a moveable, box like cupboard or unit of furniture which may or may not be enclosed at the front.

Chiffonier
Low cupboard or sideboard with twin doors and one or two drawers above and decorative back support.

Column
A vertical support, greatly higher than it is wide and cylindrical in shape .

Component Carving
A decoratively carved ornament that can be attached to, or integrated into, any form of construction or background surface for the purposes of enhanced appearance. (e.g. wooden furniture, interior fittings for houses and public buildings).

Configuration
An arrangement of decoratives, positioned in such as way as to create a particular shape, outline, span or visual effect.

Corbel
A bracket of medium to large size which normally has a projecting supportive scroll at the top and tapers at the bottom towards the background. Normally taken to refer to a decorative support for shelving, mantels and ceiling entablature/beams/trusses. (A word of obscure origins that is derived from old French of the 15 century, meaning literally a ‘little raven’ ,. So named since in medieval times they would have been placed high up on the projecting walls of a castle’s battlements).

Corinthian
An era of classical Greek culture in which the capitals at the head of their columns are adorned with acanthus leaves.

Cornucopia
Ornamentation of flowers, fruit and harvest produce that is symbolic of wealth and abundance. Traditionally in the shape of an over flowing goat’s horn.

Cross Section
The end view that would appear if you cut an object in half.

Dado
A horizontal moulding that runs along a wall at approximately waist height.

Décor
All that makes up the appearance of a room or façade.

Edge rail
A shaped length of carving that may be attached to the outlined edge of a piece of wood in order to accentuate its curve and configuration.

Floral
A design representing the appearance of flowers and petals.

Florette
A raised decorative that represents the petals of a flower and, or leaves, usually circular in outline shape.

Foliate
A design representing the appearance of leaves and stems and foliage.

Feature
A focal point of decoration by virtue of the quality of its eye catching shape or decoration.

Fluting
A pattern of parallel, concave grooves that are normally half round in cross section. Often off set against reeding.

Gouge
A woodcarvers chisel that is not flat along its cutting edge but curved, half round or ‘v’ section.

Hand Carving
The term ‘Hand Carving’ in the creation of ornamentation, as recognized by ‘Wild Goose Carvings’, means the removal of material from a wood blank using only a sharp woodcarvers chisel or gouge in the hand of a craftsman woodcarver. Machinery is not used in the shaping operation, apart from sawing out of the original blank shape or the cutting of parallel grooves in some fluted and reeded designs .

Joinery
The making of finished woodwork. (usa- alternative word for millwork).

Ionic
One of the classical orders of ancient Greek culture. Their style is characterized by their column capitals, which have a scrolled volute that is wider than it is deep.

Ornament
An embellishment for decorative purposes.

Mantel
A shelf above, or other wooden frame surrounding, a fire place.

Medallion
A raised oval decorative much used in the latter part of the 18th Century.

Millwork
The making of finished woodwork. (engl- alternative word for joinery).

Ogee section
An outline in the shape of a double curve that is convex above and concave below.

Patera
A raised wooden ornament that can be attached or applied to a prepared surface.

Patrae
Plural of ‘patera’.

Pediment
The crowning part of the front of a piece of furniture or a façade.

Pilaster
A column or half column, with a rectangular cross section, that is attached to a wall. Thus the dimension of it is normally wider than it is deep.

Scallop
A decoration based on a series of depressions originally taken to resemble the concavity of a scallop shell.

Spandrel
A decoration, often triangular in outline, that creates an arched effect between two vertical side faces and their connecting horizontal.

Stringer
A horizontal length of wood that is part of the structure.

Struts
An integrally carved connecting piece. Whilst extraneous to the actual design, it is able to lend support to delicate elements of a piece of carving for purposes of support & protection in transport. The struts on our carvings can be carefully removed, (see Hints & Tips) or left in situ as an integral part of the ornamentation.

Upstand
A vertical, shaped back piece that stands free and visible above the horizontal surface. Found usually on side-tables, low level cupboards, sideboards, chiffoniers & beds.