The Poacher by The Huggler Brothers

"The Poacher" depicts a young poacher being caught by a game keeper as he cuts up a chamois he has shot. The detail is incredible on this large carving. The expression of dismay on the young poacher's face and the details on both men's clothing is world class quality. It is signed by the Huggler Brothers (Peter and Albert) which indicates that both brothers were involved in creating the carving. Johann Huggler (1834-1912) of Brienz - a small town in Bernese Oberland, Canton Bern Switzerland. Johann Huggler was known as the "King of the Carvers" of Brienz. The few carvings that survived until this day pay homage to the mastery with which he carved animals and human figures. It was he who opened the Swiss wood carving school in Brienz, ca. 1870, where all the carvers learned the craft to produce the bears that are so collectible today. He had five sons, all carvers, but Peter and Albert are the most noted.