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| As owner of Baron Matthew Urns, I would
like to thank you for the privilege of introducing our unique
products. The craftsmanship, design and pride that go into each
of our urns combine to create gallery quality pieces unlike
any others. We strive to satisfy our commitment to present unmatched
quality and value at what can be a very difficult time.
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Our urns are handcarved with a variety
of patterns and motifs, ranging from geometric to natural and
organic. Features such as rosettes, foliage and borders are
balanced to create a visually stunning effect. Each piece takes
between 20 to 32 hours to carve and assemble, exclusively by
hand. These pieces are inspired by the award winning designs
of master carvers Wayne Barton and Donald A. Ecker. We work
exclusively with wood as no other material can match its natural
warmth and beauty. Each of our urns measures 10 1/2 inches high
with an 8-inch square base and is suitable for display or niche
inurnment. |
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Chip carving, also called "kerbschnitzen",
has its roots in the mountain valleys of Austria, Switzerland
and Bavaria. Dating back over seven hundred years, this traditional
art form can be seen in churches in Northern Germany built as
early as the 13th century. The technique was passed through
time honored master-apprentice relationships and as its popularity
flourished in later centuries it became an important architectural
influence on many of the great churches and castles of England
and Ireland. Today masterpiece works of chip carving can be
found in museums and private collections around the world. The
carving method is a labor intensive and time-consuming endeavor
that does not lend itself well to mass production. Historically
chip carving has been done with a V-shaped chisel known as a
"geisfull" that results in crisp surface edges and
a pointed finish at the bottom of each groove. Every piece is
painstakingly carved, stained and assembled completely by hand
resulting in a true objet d'art. |
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All of our urns are made entirely of Burmese
Teak wood, known in Asia as Jinsi "golden-thread"
Nanmu (Phoebe Nanmu). This wood has long been treasured in Asia
for its characteristics and is mentioned frequently in Ming
Dynasty literary writings. Once dry, the wood does not warp
or split and can be sanded and polished to create a smooth,
shimmering surface, making it ideal for furniture and ornate
architecture. In fact, the world famous Temple of Heaven in
Beijing, built in 1420, is supported by the four "Dragon
Well Pillars" made entirely of Golden-Thread Nanmu. |
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Baron Matthew Enterprises is a small,
family owned business based in Niantic, Connecticut. Due to
the talent and time required to create our pieces we produce
only a limited amount of urns each year. We are dedicated to
preserving the centuries old craftsmanship of the chip carving
tradition and maintain stringent quality standards to ensure
artistic perfection.
Sincerely,
Todd
C. Schafer.
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