Ore Mountain folk art
Ore Mountain folk art (German: Erzgebirgische Volkskunst) is a well-known form of highly artistic wood carving from East Germany.
It encompasses the diverse forms of expression of the creative work beyond the classical or the modern arts, and in particular the production of figures, sculptures and paintings.
The economic downturn of the mining industry, or its widespread decline in the 19th century, encouraged the emergence of supplementary and replacement income, depending on local conditions.
In addition to straw weaving and lace making, this included in particular the artistic woodworking that characterises and dominates the concept of Ore Mountain folk art.
The centre for the manufacture of Ore Mountain folk art lies in the region around the village of Seiffen, which is also known as the Toy Corner (Spielzeugwinkel).
In pre-Christmas season, the face of villages in the Ore Mountains is characterized by Christmas pyramids and large Diaphragm arches, which are put up.
[3] The development of this branch can not only be seen in the geographical distribution of products in "Ore Mountain Style", but also in the increasing diversity of motives for traditional objects.
In 2006, a person from the Northwest of Germany made headlines because he not only had angels in the "Ore Mountains style" and Räuchermännchen produced in China but also sold these articles cheaply in a store in Seiffen.
[5] Apparently, his customers could not determine significant differences between the articles sold by the above named salesman and original products manufactured by craftsmen in Seiffen.
This statement though fuels the suspicion that these articles were forbidden counterfeits which were primarily made for unsuspecting customers to mistake them for products which were actually manufactured in the Ore Mountains area.
The above-named salesman was unable to remain permanently active in Seiffen either as a product developer or as a trader;[6] however, he still sells "Ore Mountains style" goods over the internet.
