Late 19th Century Black Forest Carved Wooden Deer Head w/ Real Antler

Late 19th Century Black Forest Carved Wooden Deer Head with Natural Antlers
Germany, circa 1880–1900

Carved in the celebrated Black Forest tradition, this striking deer head exemplifies the virtuosity and romantic naturalism that defined late 19th-century German wood carving. The finely modeled head is rendered with remarkable sensitivity, from the gently contoured muzzle and alert glass eyes to the carefully incised texture of the hide. The sculpture is mounted with authentic stag antlers, lending the piece both sculptural authority and an unmistakable sense of authenticity prized by period collectors.

The head emerges from an elaborately carved wooden backplate adorned with scrolling foliage and acanthus motifs, emblematic of the Black Forest school’s fusion of natural subjects with Baroque and Rococo decorative vocabulary. Retaining its original polychrome surface and warm patina, the piece reflects the era’s fascination with hunting culture, alpine life, and the romantic idealization of the wilderness.

Such carvings were traditionally displayed in hunting lodges, mountain villas, and bourgeois interiors throughout Germany, France and Austria, serving as symbols of status, craftsmanship, and reverence for nature. Today, examples of this quality and scale are increasingly scarce, particularly those incorporating original antlers and retaining strong surface integrity.

An evocative and sculptural object, equally at home in a refined interior or a dramatic lodge setting.

Dimensions:
27" L × 19" W × 46" H