Pyrography is our word for today, and it's just a fancy word for "wood burning." It's also sometimes called "Flemish art." If you've been through an antique mall or flea market, you've surely seen a box or wall plaque with a pyrography design like these examples I spotted at an auction:
Pyrography was a popular home craft during the Victorian era (mid to late 1800's), when a little wood burning tool was sold with various patterns to follow. All sorts of items were created by men and women, including the common tie and glove boxes, tie racks, plaques, and larger items such as lamp tables. Sometimes color was added to the designs to add additional interest. I remember seeing a gorgeous box with a poinsettia motif in an antique shop with a heavily burned design and brightly colored flowers. I still regret not purchasing that beauty!
The inside of this glove box hasn't oxidized, so you can really see the pyrography design well:
Pretty ladies, flowers (especially roses and poinsettias), and grapes are common motifs:
I haven't found pyrography items to be hot sellers here in Michigan unless they have something unusual going on. Otherwise, I think my buyers just view them as another brown box. I would price the grape motif example above around $14.
I find pyrography interesting because it was a home craft from long ago. People have always enjoyed creating with their own hands, haven't they?
Mitzi
