Scandinavian Grind Skew Chisel

This tool is a carver's dream, but it had to be saved from history first.

- By Lara Reisigl Domeneghetti

There is an unfortunate reality

that many woodworking techniques and tools have been lost to time as traditions die out and technology advances. Wood, as a medium, is also often impermanent and susceptible to the elements. Research historians such as myself have to rely on the limited historic artifacts and artwork to understand medieval woodworking practices.

One such artifact is the Tylldal chair, a 12th-century Norwegian artifact that was rediscovered in the late nineteenth century in a church in the village of Tylldal. The chair is an intricately-carved masterpiece that gives us a glimpse into the past, and has been a key part of my research.

How I Research

While my academic background includes formal studies, my primary identity is that of a practitioner. My first major experience in this field was at the City & Guilds of London Art School, where I first reconstructed the Tylldal chair in 2019. That project showed me how overlooked medieval Scandinavian furniture is. I also uncovered the challenge of figuring out exactly what tools were used between the 11th and 13th centuries. Tool traces on original carvings have often been eroded through centuries of use, obscured by layers of later paint (as seen on the original Tylldal chair), or are too fragmentary to allow for definitive conclusions, even for the most experienced craftspeople.