The workshop of Hape Sculptures are located in the famed region of Val Gardena in the north of Italy where so many woodcarvers and woodcarving workshops have made their home. Hape is a family run business that was founded many decades ago creating hand carved works in wood, both sacred as well as secular. For LAJ's purposes, of course, we are primarily interested in their sacred works, which provide a range of options from smaller statuary and relief sculptures, to grandiose crucifixes and large, church sized statuary.
As we like to do from time to time, today I thought we would take a brief look at some of their most recent works coming out of their workshops, ranging from ever popular sculptures of the Blessed Virgin, crucifixes, as well as the saints.
Some of these works are characterized by their baroque, Italian style flair, while others take on the more reserved sobriety of the modern age. Whatever their stylistic differences though, all of them share in the common characteristic of their noble beauty.
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| St. Peter |
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| St. George and the Dragon - "In this woodcarving, his image on horseback defeating the dragon brings that meaning to life, representing the strength to face evil, protect what is good, and stand firm in belief." |
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| "A finely carved wooden figure of a bishop, depicted wearing a traditional mitre and holding a crosier, symbolising his role as a shepherd guiding his congregation. In his other hand, he holds an open book, representing teaching, faith and the passing on of knowledge. The detailed robes, expressive face and golden accents bring this historical church figure to life, capturing the dignity and responsibility of the role of a bishop in the Christian tradition." |
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| Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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| Detail - Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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| Detail - Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
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| St. Joseph and the Child Jesus |
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| Madonna and Child |
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| Madonna Mediatrix |
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| Madonna of Pompeii |
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| Christ Crucified |
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| Detail - Christ Crucified |
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| An as yet unfinished, completely hand-carved Madonna |
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