Single Monkey with Arms folded from Wenge buy wood Figurine

A lone male monkey, squatting in place with arms folded. Hand carved from Wenge wood from DR Congo. #11
This long male monkey carved from wenge wood has its unique wood grain on display in a beautiful way, while capturing the essence of this majestic animal. The artisan who made this piece was found by my mother selling his goods on the side of the road in DR Congo; a hidden gem that we had done our best to bring to the world. When we visited the shop,
Much of what you can see were African animals, probably encouraged as much by tourism as customary practice. But, there were also many examples of human carved, bowls, ceremonial masks.
Most local woods are used for carving, with ebony and wenge figuring. Carvings took all sizes and shapes—some small and some tall. They all have exceptional detailed and, in my opinion, reasonably priced considering their fine craftsmanship.
No electricity, no air conditioning, no noisy machinery. Actually, aside from that familiar sound of sandpaper on wood, there was no noise at all coming from inside. The tools they used included a few short-bladed chip carving knives, a variety of adzes in several sizes, rasps, files and sandpaper. They used their feet to steady workpieces on the dirt floor. There was no room for a workbench.

The completed carvings receive quick and simple finishes. Dark shoe polish to stain those pieces that need it or sometimes just transparent shoe polish more for ebony wood followed by a mixture of beeswax. The pieces dry in the sun before receiving a final buffing. Then they're moved into the store for display. or in a stand in front of the house. It's a simple enterprise that continues day in and day out for these Congolese carvers.

As you can imagine, we left their woodcarving shop with a mix of emotions and impressions we won't soon forget. The experience was both fascinating buy and inspiring, but at the same time humbling. That inspire us to start to work with them, until today