Santa Claus with rod

We do not know exactly why Santa Claus has stolen the rod from Knecht Ruprecht, but in the end he shows himself friendly and at the same time swings the bell for the Bescherung (and the bag with the gifts he also has with him). In short, you do not have to beware of this Santa Claus, but can safely experience his hand-flattering qualities: In elaborate handwork, the figure is turned in the manufactory Björn Köhler from ash and maple wood and repeatedly resharpened, so that the natural grain and velvety-warm feel of the wood fully come into their own. Thus, even the rod-armed Santa Claus with tongue-in-cheek humor plays out its charm in the Christmas decoration.

In Eppendorf near Seiffen lives and works master turner Björn Köhler. He has made it his mission to combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design - in his unconventional Christmas figures he succeeds masterfully. The choice of motif is based on Erzgebirge traditions, but the figures are extremely reduced and at the same time so humorously designed that their colorful informality is reminiscent of Scandinavian design.

As an artisan of the Erzgebirge, Köhler treats the material wood in his manufactory as it deserves: with respect and a sense of form. Already the selection of the woods testifies to expertise and care, for example, the natural growth and slow drying of the wood play a decisive role. The production is mainly done by hand, gauges (holding devices for forms that cannot be held by hand on the lathe) are made individually for each form in order to be able to drill, mill, saw and sand cleanly and true to the pattern. Köhler and his team pay attention to precision down to the last detail; even the fit of grain and dimension is precisely aligned.

The fact that a famous wood art developed in the originally densely forested Erzgebirge is not only explained by the availability of the material. As a branch of industry, handicrafts became all the more important as the local mining industry rapidly lost resources and profitability. Folk art slipped into this gap, which mining - no less than Christmas - still shaped with numerous motifs. A center of wood art emerged around Seiffen, where one of the first specialized trade schools was founded in 1853 to promote handicrafts. In the so-called Toy Corner, small and large craft businesses still produce the classics of the folk art of the Erzgebirge: from hoop animals and smoking men to miner figures and nutcrackers to candle arches and wing pyramids.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.