Revolutionary
and critical to the survival of Erzgebirgische workman families, the lathe
was instrumental in the success of the region’s woodcraft tradition. It
allowed quick, inexpensive mass-production of wooded figures that deluged
markets, securing the popularity of these toys in the 18th and 19th
centuries.
The lathe itself is an ancient
invention, dating back at least 3000 years to the Egyptians. Incredibly
useful, this tool was used for everything from bowl making to furniture
building to carving ornamental pieces. Through the ages, people tapped
different sources to power their lathes -- cranked flywheels, hands, feet,
horses, water, and later steam. Today, lathes run almost exclusively on
electricity.
Riding on the shoulders of
industrialization, the lathe made its way to Erzgebirgische toy makers in
the mid-1800s where it quickly became a mainstay of the industry. Below,
is a picture of one of our craftsmen today,
Christian Werner, who still
makes his Noah’s Ark animals by hand on the lathe. On top of the stack of
wooden rings (at the lower right side of the picture), are cross-sections
where you can see clearly the profile of horses, giraffes and other
animals cut from the rings.
