Museum - Large Carved Lace Folder - “at The Wheels Of Destiny” - Folk Art - Auvergne

Late 19th century France – Auvergne – Massif Central An object of intimate devotion or amorous offering, this strikingly expressive carved wooden lace folder concentrates all the emotional charge of the popular arts of the Massif Central. Carved from a single board, without any additions, it presents a rigorous interplay of circles, lines, and crosses. At its heart, a large radiating wheel. Around it, four secondary wheels, turned towards the corners like cardinal stars. The whole is framed by an openwork frieze of interlocking diamonds. These wheels, hand-machined in an almost obsessive geometric rhythm, evoke at once the movement of life, agricultural cycles, and perhaps the wheels of a chariot, a cattle archana, or a tribute convoy. Rustic offering, protective talisman, or simple virtuoso exercise of a young shepherd in love – no one can decide. At the top, three letters – VVA – remain enigmatic: initials of the craftsman? of a couple? of a secret dedication? One thing is certain, the object speaks. Just below, a small stylized character, carved in the same wood, seems to keep watch. A naive, almost childlike silhouette, it adds a human presence, modest but indelible. At the bottom, the date 1883 is carved into the wood. It acts as a temporal anchor, forever fixing the moment of this love, this offering, or this silence. Through its deep patina and its repetitive forms, this folder becomes much more than a simple tool intended to smooth lace: it becomes an object of memory, a fragment of the soul, a gesture offered to the other or to oneself. Condition: Very beautiful original patina, surface smoothed by use, no restoration. Small old chip in the upper frieze (see photos), without fragility. Perfect readability of the date and patterns. Dimensions: Height: 18.5 cm Width: 10.5 cm Delivery: ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY!