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WCU - Craft Revival

Woodcarving: fiddle maker

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  • This woodcarving depicts a traditional male fiddle maker seated on a bench and was made by Wade Martin (1920-2005) of Swannanoa, N.C. during the 1950s. The fiddle maker has a long beard and overalls, with "WHM" carved in the bottom of the bench. One leg is missing from the wooden work table; two tools are affixed to the table; while other tools represented in an old photograph of the carving are missing. The scroll of a fiddle is on the tabletop, but the body of the fiddle is missing. The man is holding the back of the fiddle; the man's thumb is missing. Wade Hampton Martin was a well-known woodcarver from the Swannanoa area of Buncombe County. He was part of a family of renowned artisans that included his father, Marcus Lafayette Martin, a regionally-known fiddler and instrument maker, and his mother, Callie Holloway Martin, a homemaker and good banjo player. The family included five sons, Wayne, Quentin, Edsel, Fred, and Wade, and one daughter, Zenobia, many of whom became established woodcarvers.

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Craft Revival

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mountain craftsmen formed the cornerstone of a revived interest in things handmade to create a movement known as the Craft Revival. During the Revival...

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