Pyrography.....what's that?

I've been talking about collections lately, so I thought I'd show you another one of mine, and do a little "show and tell" of pyrography, which are more commonly known as "wood burnt" items.

If, your definition of an antiques is an item over 100 years old.......these items are true antiques. 

In the late 1880 through the 1920s, women's magazines featured this new pastime, for ladies, called pyrography or wood burning.  Soon, art supply companies were making and selling wood boxes, wall plaques and small pieces of furniture with the designs drawn on them and the latest innovations in wood burning equipment for this new craft.

As time passed, and skills improved, ingenuity brought originality to the burned designs depending on the artistic ability of the craftsperson.  Paint was added to highlight the design and backgrounds were chiseled out to add depth and texture.

Apparently, safety was not much of a concern, considering ladies were using hand held devices that were heated with a benzine/air mixture plus, asbestos was added to reduce explosions.  Fun hobby, huh.....sort of like an "extreme sport" of the 1900s.

Thousands of these items were purchased and completed.  I've had a few more pieces over the years but I have edited down to these few pieces that I really like and enjoy looking at everyday.

This wall plaque is 20 inches by 9 inches and was produced by Flemish Art Company.  There is, of course, no way to know the name of the craftsperson who burned it.

Since, we are very fond of cats in this household, this is one of our favorite designs.

 

  This wonderful magazine holder is 24 by 14 inches. 

I really like this one and I've been using it in my craft room, recently, to hold scrapbook papers.

 

 

 

So, you get a sense of how it looks with magazines in it I took this photo.  It must have been designed to hang on the wall, next to your favorite chair, holding your reading material at the ready.

 

 

 

This little sweetie would have hung on the wall and held your comb or brush in the tray.

A quick check in the little round mirror would have told you if you needed to use them! 

 

 

Behold, the detail!  Burned, chiseled and textured this little beauty is only 12 x 9 inches.

  More detail from the front of the brush holder.

This sweet little frame, made to hold two photos of loved ones, is about 8 inches wide.

The most common examples of pyrography, you will find these boxes, in various sizes and designs, in almost any antique store today. 

Here the top box belonged to my grandmother and is what piqued my interest in this burnt wood craft and where the collection began.

The bottom box is my most recent acquisition and is about 9x11x5 inches high.  The painted designs are my least favorite and, normally, I wouldn't have bought it.........except for the message on the bottom.  This is what makes this box so special.

The woman I bought it from told me Fred W. was her great-uncle and the box was done by his niece for Christmas 1910.

You can, also, see the manufacture mark on the left, it was produced by Flemish Art Company.  Thayer & Chandler was another company that produced a lot of materials during the popular years of wood burning. 

If you find these crafted items as interesting as I do, you can learn more by reading "The Burning Passion" by Carole and Richard Smyth and published by L-W Book Sales.

Thank you for allowing me to share, with you, what I think is a fun and fascinating collection from another era.

Remember, I blog for comments.....they are always appreciated!

I am linking to Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life and Sue Loves Cherries at Rednesday.  Please join me and check out all the other great blogs.