Quartz and Charoite Sculpture by Helmut Wolf


Idar-Oberstein, Germany Comprising a large slab of rock crystal Quartz, polished on both sides but with a natural boulder edge left remaining on one side. Removable from the massive base of charoite which has inclusions of aegrine and tinaksite. Such large specimens of charoite are now very valuable and are impossible to obtain in today's market. Height 23 1/4in (59.1cm)
|Provenance: Purchased from Christie's, London, South Kensington, March 6, 2007, sale 5248, Lot 938. Helmut WolfA third generation gem carver, Wolf trained at the "Weiherschleife" Institute of Idar-Oberstein, which emphasized ancient traditions of gem cutting and still employed historical water-wheel driven grinding machines. At the age of 28, after setting up his own workshop, Wolf began to leave the traditional ways of forming gem vessels behind in order to carve his own creative path. His work comprises items that have both matte and polished surfaces, cut extremely thin, often allowing for the natural "crust" or rind of the specimen to be an element of the design. But the road leading to an artistically formed vessel is an arduous one and to hold a completed vessel in one's hand with a finely shaped rim, to strike it with a thumbnail and hear a clear tone or resonance fill the room is still a goal that fills him with joy when he has successfully achieved it.