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Wood carving is one of the oldest arts of humankind. Wooden spears from the Middle Paleolithic, such as the Clacton Spear, reveal how humans have engaged in utilitarian woodwork for millennia. However, given the relatively rapid rate at which wood decays in most environments, there are only isolated ancient artefacts remaining.
North American Indian carving has been found in everyday objects such as wooden fish-hooks and pipe stems. Similarly Polynesian carving can be found on paddles and the tools of their trade. The natives of Guyana decorated their cassava grater with a well-conceived scheme of incised scrolls, while the native of Loango Bay embellished his spoon with a design of figures standing up in full relief carrying a hammock. Wood carving is also present in architecture.
Figure-work seems to have been universal. To carve a figure/design out of wood may be not only more difficult but the results less satisfactory than sculpting with marble, owing to the tendency of wood to crack, be damaged by insects, or affected by atmospheric changes.
The texture of wood, often proves challenging when trying to create the expression and finer features of the face. On the other hand, the rough texture of wood can lend itself to the more rugged features of the ageing face. Magnificent examples exist of the 'beetling' of brows, furrows and lines all enhanced by the natural defects of the grain of the wood.