A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that’s been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.
Rather than using molds or any kind of assembly-line factory production, the team behind the “Artisan Dragon” has opted to use a slow, manual process that involves cutting, carving, sanding and waxing solid wood into a frankly stunning creation. And because of this, no two pieces are the same, with variations in grain, finish and small hand-worked details giving each calmly “flying” dragon a different character.
Kickstarter
And you can witness the effort that’s gone into crafting every model below.
Designed as a display piece rather than a toy and measuring 15 x 13 x 1.9 inches (39 x 32 x 5 cm), it’s made for a work desk or place of display, with a small internal mechanism, powered by a rechargeable battery, that allows the wing movement to can be adjusted to user preference. And looking into the effort the creators have put into it, it’s easy to see how this small team has raised nearly US$200,000, with just over a week left of the campaign to go.
Pledgers can choose from two materials – a beech-wood version that’s lighter and has more prominent grain markings, and a model that blends this wood with darker North American-sourced walnut that offers a more subdued but higher-contrast finish.
The team behind this oddly compelling piece of work is ChameleonDecorArt, which focuses on traditional woodworking and light mechanical integration. The artists’ behind it want to bring gentle motion into what would otherwise be static decorative objects, without losing the aesthetic quality of solid wood. And you can chart the makers’ progression, from their earlier projects like moving jellyfish to this far more intricate and beautiful piece. (And that’s saying something, as I love jellyfish much more than dragons.)
Kickstarter
While the campaign’s description may not sell it as well as it could, the dragon model is essentially a rather special mix of sculpture and gentle movement, designed to provide quiet calm to a space rather than draw constant attention to it. And it seems like the right time to seek out a bit of quiet calm and beauty, if you ask us.
As the makers say, “Once it is set in a space, it becomes a gentle reminder: It’s okay to slow down.”
Kickstarter
But that said, you only have about a week to grab one of these pieces – or both, as many pledgers have already done. A single dragon is on sale for US$179 (MRSP $299), with the pair on offer for $329 (MRSP $598). Despite the amount of work put into crafting each piece, the single dragons are expected to ship worldwide in May, with the twin sets being sent out in June.
Shipping costs depend on destination, so check the campaign site for more. And you can see the work that’s gone into the project in the video below.
What if dragons never vanished, but simply changed form?
Source: Kickstarter
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