S e c r e t s

In “Saving Grace”, master carver Peter Calvesbert portrays the largest, rarest and most powerful of primates, the silverback gorilla, protecting an orphan. Gorillas inhabit the forests of equatorial Africa and are known for their shyness and intelligence. American researcher Dian Fossey, renowned for her pioneering study of gorillas in Rwanda, is paid homage on this box figurine. The Statue of Liberty is carved within, a tribute to the 1968 classic film Planet of the Apes. Other inscriptions include the names of silverback gorillas from the first half of the 20th century. When carving this piece, Peter used black and white reference photography from the 1930’s and 1940’s, explaining the particular vintages of the chosen gorillas.