In the small German town of Idar-Oberstein, there is a tradition dating back to medieval times of local artisans carving figurines from precious gems and minerals, mined from rich deposits in the surrounding hills. The intricate figurines became so popular that the town became known as the gemstone-cutting capital of Europe.
Today, a native son of the region has brought global attention to this craft through intricate creations that have earned him the moniker “The 21st-Century Faberge.”
Born in 1944, Manfred Wild has attracted acclaim for his “eccentric” carvings of everything from waterfowl to a playable rock crystal clarinet. Eight of his sculptures are on display in Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Wertz Gallery in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems.
The object shown here is called Peasant with Staff. Purchased by the Museum of Natural History in 1985, the roughly 6-inch-tall figurine shows a red-bearded man wrapped in a full-length winter coat, with each mineral component carved individually and then linked together through tiny metal dowels, pegs, and resin-like adhesive. His boots and cap are chiseled from obsidian, his long cane is emerald-colored jade, and his coat is banded with jasper.
Assistant Curator of Minerals Travis Olds marvels at Wild’s artistry and the way he carved and pieced together parts of different minerals like a precious jigsaw puzzle.
“Every crystal has a different way that it breaks,” Olds says. “There’s a mastery of getting the right portion of the mineral to fit just right.”
Wild viewed his work as more than just an artistic practice—it was spiritual. According to Emil Becker, a German company of artisans that carry on Wild’s artistic practice, Wild once referred to gemstones as the “fingerprints of the dear god on our earth!” He referred to himself as “Crazy Manfred” and even spoke to the gemstones as he was working with them. The resulting artworks are not only prized by private collectors, but also displayed in museums around the world such as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The eight Wild carvings at the Museum of Natural History are beautiful to look at and also a testament to the diverse ways minerals can be used, says Debra Wilson, collection manager of minerals and earth sciences.
“One of the things that we want to show in Wertz Gallery is the rough, cut, and final products of mineral use—the quality of both gemstones and nonprecious minerals,” says Wilson. “It’s more than just jewelry.”
