Carved wooden horse from Northern Thailand

Many decades ago a young boy sat at the foot of his father, a master carver in the Tenasserim Hills of rural Thailand. The father mistook the boy’s complacency as indifference toward his work. Then one day the father fell ill. His wife lamented, “Who will finish the carving commissioned by the King? It is only just begun! Get better or all will be lost.” The father recovered; and when he finally returned to his shed he found his carving finished. It depicted a horse, rendered so lifelike it appeared to have a soul; and standing next to it on the stool where he normally sat was his son, carving tools in hand. A smile spread across the father’s face, for he knew in his heart – a prodigy was born.

This horse is carved from Tenasserim pine, native to the hills of Northern Thailand

This week’s New Arrival features an antique wooden horse from the Tenasserim Hills of northern Thailand. Carved from pine, the wood most prevalent in the area, it is so sensitive one might declare it to have a soul, just like the horse carved by the young boy who sat at the foot of his father. Go to this area of Thailand and you’ll discover exceptional carving in architectural details, temples overflowing with Buddhist statues, and in sculptures of animals appearing just as animated as their living counterparts. Now look at this carving. Weathered and worn, it matters not if it was rendered by father or son, for its personality remains as vital as the day it was born.

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