Photo by De Knipe

This is Fries Houtsnijwerk, or Frisian woodcarving, a form of Dutch folk art that, despite its name, was found all throughout the North of the Netherlands and the area around the former inland sea called Zuiderzee. It’s one of the oldest decorative crafts in the Netherlands.

Frisian carving has a long tradition and was spread through areas by Frisian fishermen. First, it was done to decorate pieces in their own house, later it was also a way to make a bit of extra money for farmers and fishermen. Unfortunately, not many people know how to do these Frisian carvings anymore, so it’s important to revive it and make the younger generation interested in learning this traditional craft.

To carve out the wood, the makers use a chisel and a small sharp knife. And with the chisel. Notches of a few millimetres are made in the wood with the chisel, patterns are then cut with the blade. 

The precise technique was not written down, but people simply copied the patterns from items they had at home or learned from their dad. The craft almost entirely disappeared due to industrialisation and mechanisation. But efforts were made to bring Frisian woodcarving back into the spotlight around the year 1900. 

People organised courses, written instructions were created and before you knew it- a significant portion of the country takes up Frisian woodcarving. People especially enjyoed it during the crisis years of the 1930s and during the mobilisation. It became old fashioned again after the Second World War. 

Within Frisian carvings, you can find tons of rosettes, stars and braided figures. These are carved on everything wooden from tables to utensils to marriage clogs. However, the most decorated items are trays, jewellery boxes and coasters. Most are made from lime wood, but people also use oak, rosewood and other sorts of wood. 

The oldest items of Frisian carvings that we still have come from the 17th century; these are found in the Fries Museum, Zuiderzeemuseum and Rijksmuseum.

Now, while these stars, braided figures, etc. all look beautiful, they also used to have an actual (religious) meaning. For instance, the stars represent the starry sky and the braided knot symbolises eternity. 

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