The Link That Holds It Together

   I shared a photo of some wooden chains with some friends of mine and never dreamed that it would garner so much attention.  The chains are hand carved antique pieces that I acquired from the old farm place where I grew up.  As a kid, I remember being in awe of the handiwork involved in creating the chains and feel blessed that I have them now.  The wooden chains were a quirky addition to the a "museum" also know as our house.  The Little Bayou House has always been filled with oddities of this sort and I would not have it any other way.  I am, after all, the "Keeper of Weird and Wonderful Things" or so I have been told.  I feel it is one of my duties to protect items such as this simply because (at one point) they were nigh on tossed on a burn pile.  (We won't go there but I am glad I was able to rescue the chains.)

  These particular chains were given to Pop by some very sweet old ladies way back before I was born.  Pop took up handyman work to supplement the meager money he made as a farmer.  In fact, this was just one of his "other jobs".  He had many to support his family.  The chains stayed in the old farmhouse as long as I can remember before coming into my possession.  Granddad had told me that these were made by sailors of long ago. I figured he would know as he was a sailor himself!  He claimed that sailors needed something to occupy their time on the long voyages so they took up carving among other handcrafts.  Each chain and its pendant are carved from a single stick of wood.  The links are movable and the pendants have small carved balls in them that are also loose.  

  In this day and age where everything is mass produced and cheaply made, it completely awes me that folks had the talent and patience to create such fantastical works of art simply to make use of their idle hours.   Some will claim that the chains are useless but I beg to differ.  The are works of art.  These fine pieces are here to inspire.  They are here to make us dream of times when things were well-made.  There are here to make us realize that we should have patience and do things to the best of our ability even if there are those who think we are of no use.  Folks, take the time to really look at things and delve into the idea behind them before being too hasty of passing judgement.  

Another Dust Collector!

Today was a chilly day on the Bayou. The base temperature was not bad but the wind was blowing something fierce sending the chill factor plummeting. I decided it was a good day to stay inside and get a few things accomplished. I guess I did..or perhaps I just played..whatever, it was a lot warmer inside! While piddling around in the dining room, I picked up something that has been in the family for a number of years. I stared at it for a bit then wondered exactly who had the patience to ever create such a masterpiece! The workmanship is exquisite! The detail is phenomenal! The result is a thing of beauty..one that might not appeal to everyone..but still a thing of beauty!

I am referring to a whole box full of wooden chains...some with the most wonderful finials attached. These wooden chains were hand-carved from a single piece of wood..most likely cedar. There are no joints..no segments..no glue holding them together..just one long chain. Each link was painstakingly carved to make it movable just like any chain and most are about twelve to twenty inches long! On the end of most, there is an elaborate finial. Each finial is a double-compartment cage that contains a carved wooden ball in each. This is incredibly difficult to achieve without breaking the thin rails of the cage! Can you imagine just how time-consuming this hobby must have been? All of the ones that I have been able to find in antique stores have a single cage finial that is squared off. These are tapered in steps giving them a much more delicate appearance. These carvings are called "Whimseys" which gives one the idea of why they were made.

I was told long ago by Granddad that these chains were carved by sailors many, many years ago. The sea voyages would sometimes last for years and to occupy their long days, the sailors would carve. After many such voyages, the craft or "Sailor's Art" was perfected and most were considered master woodcarvers. I can see why they were considered this as it is doubtful that many would be this precise nowadays.

In later years, some folks started labeling this "Tramp Art". Tramp Art being done by those that were either out of work or who chose simply not to work. Theirs was an art form that came from idleness rather than the boredom of the sailors. This art was done much like the sailors' art in using whatever material was readily available but the finesse was not achieved. There were few chains and ball cages done in this form with pieces being more utilitarian.. such as ornate boxes. Not to take away from that art form as I have several of those pieces also, I still love the chains best. Why? Simply because Granddad was a sailor and although he did not carve these, his tale of their origin is far more desirable!

Today, most of the woodcarving or whittling is done by older folks that have a desire to bring back an art form from days past. Many observers say "They have the time to waste creating something useless." I disagree..what might appear to be useless to some, serves a purpose. These creations keep us in awe. The sheer talent, the precision, the patience..all could teach us a few life-lessons. In this day of machine-made, mass-produced gobbledy-gook, to have something like these hand-carved masterpieces is priceless. As I handle them..I stand completely in awe of some unknown artist. Another treasure tucked away in the Little Bayou House.