Mouseman and The Yorkshire Critter Carvers – Recent sales at Unique Auctions and elsewhere continue to show great demand for Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson items, Mouseman Studio items and associated carvers collectively known as the Critter Carvers including Stan ‘Woodpecker’ Dodds and others.
Recent sold pieces include a Mouseman doorstop selling for £250 and an oak Mouseman book shelf selling for £290.
The Yorkshire Critter Carvers, a distinguished group of artisans who either trained under Robert “Mouseman” Thompson or were inspired by his legacy, represent a unique chapter in the annals of British craftsmanship. These skilled craftsmen, working within the scenic landscapes of Yorkshire, adopted Thompson’s ethos of using traditional techniques and materials, primarily English oak, to create furniture and sculptures that were both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
These Each artisan, while adhering to the foundational principles learned in Thompson’s Kilburn workshop, sought to infuse their work with a personal touch by incorporating a signature carved critter, thereby distinguishing their pieces in the rich tapestry of Yorkshire craftsmanship.
This cadre of carvers, including luminaries like Stan “Woodpecker” Dodds (Stan Woodpecker Dodds and the Art of Critter Carvings), Peter “Rabbitman” Heap, Derek “Lizardman” Slater and Albert “Eagleman” Jeffray, embraced the spirit of innovation within the framework of tradition. Their critters—ranging from acorns, rabbits, woodpeckers, foxes to squirrels.
More About Robert Thompson
Robert (Mouseman) Thompson (7 May 1876 – 8 December 1955) was a British furniture maker. He lived in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, where he set up a business manufacturing oak furniture, which featured a carved mouse on almost every piece. It is claimed that the mouse motif came about accidentally in 1919 following a conversation about “being as poor as a church mouse”, which took place between Thompson and one of his colleagues during the carving of a cornice for a screen. This chance remark led to him carving a mouse and this remained part of his work from this point onwards. (more about Robert Mouseman Thompson).
Related
Mouseman Price Guide for Smaller Items
Stan Woodpecker Dodds and the Art of Critter Carvings
