ARS SACRA FERDINANDO PERATHONER

PRECIOUS MATERIALS AND EXPERIENCE

Val Gardena is known as being the cradle of the art of wood carving. Combined with a long tradition, here, in Ortisei, the wonderful surroundings, the mountain slopes and the scent of spruces and firs in the air seem to create the ideal conditions to inspire works of art.

Here is were we, the Ferdinando Perathoner Sculptors, operate. We are a family which for generations has been engaged in producing wooden sculptures according to an art that knows how to reproduce well recognizable motives and shapes. In our studio we exclusively produce entirely hand carved statues that are provided with the original guarantee label by the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano.

This certificate of guarantee has been recently introduced to respond to the need of labelling entirely hand carved works that contain all the original vibrations and the meaning that only an artist’s hand can convey.

The inspection procedures are very strict. An expert commissioned by the Province of Bolzano checks the statue at the very beginning and shortly before the end of its elaboration. The certificate that grants the authenticity is only issued after this careful checking.

The dignity of sacral places is increased by the collocation of statues in precious materials such as wood and bronze. These are exactly the materials we work with, rejecting materials of scarce value such as fibreglass, plastic and plaster that are, however, used by those who produce series productions out of moulds.

For us it is very important that authentic expression is included: in the same way as it is preferable to have live and not recorded liturgical singing and sacral music in church. A series statue only conveys the dimension of consumerism, but it doesn’t convey any emotion.

On the contrary, a hand carved work of art has a human dimension that is created by a spontaneous sensitivity and by the hint of emotion and imponderability that accompanies the elaboration of a statue that is destined to liturgy and devotion.

People approach the mystery in a very simple way and images can help them: but they have to be meaningful, precious and of good quality. The natural materials such as wood and bronze convey a touch of life and they carry the hint of human shaping.

These are the two aspects that make the statue worth the place it is destined for. A hand carved statue isn’t anything transitory: it is no momentary installation, but it lasts through time and it constantly refines itself.

A sacral figural statue fills the space in church making it eloquent. It livens up the church reproducing the sacral drama and it evokes the legacy of hope that derives therein for the world. A hope that we, the Perathoner family, work out and represent in our works.

OUR HISTORY

The wooden carver Ferdinando Perathoner began in 1890 with the activity of big artistical works in wood made by hand in his laboratory.
At the moment we are already the fourth generation and we still carry out statues of religious art by hand on order for the churches.
In all these years we have performed for many churches in Italy very important works as well as in many churches that are found in at least 25 foreign countries.