The earliest examples of wooden idols and statues are simple figurines of human or animal form, made with crude tools. As tools and societies evolved, wood carving became a integral part of community culture. The totem poles of the native North Americans are a form of spiritual expression that tell a story through the placement of iconic carvings. These traditional carvings are still an important part of the heritage and culture of the Pacific Northwest. Likewise, tribal masks of various African cultures carry great cultural significance, used during ceremonies to narrate stories about ancestors, spirits and deities.
The practice of decorating churches with ornamental carvings started in the Gothic and Medieval eras, from the late 1100s up to the Renaissance. Not only was the architecture of the time enhanced, but decorative wood panels and statues were introduced as well. The German gothic sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider was known for his lindenwood statues of various saints and religious entities done in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Veit Stoss was another German sculptor from this time period known for his altar piece art which is a noted tourist attraction in St. Mary's church in Krakow, Poland.
Functional and decorative wooden art gained popularity in foresting nations such as Switzerland, Romania and Germany, where wood carving became a profession and a way of life. Professional wood sculptors elaborately carved gates, chests, doors, spoons and jewelry boxes in a style that is still mimicked by carvers today. In the logging communities of the Black Forest of Germany, pine and fir were the common woods used by Swiss and German wood carvers to create the ornate designs in cuckoo clocks and music boxes for which the style "Black Forest Carving" is known.
Teak is a hardwood from Southeast Asia that has been used since ancient times to make furniture, doors and windows as well as smooth and intricate statues of religious deities. The Embekke temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka is an example of a 14th-century wooden construction with carvings and engraved architecture that embodies the style of traditional Southeast Asian wood carving. The woodcarving techniques of this time period are still a source of inspiration for today's wood carvers. Studios such as Wood Royal imitate the ancient figures and patterns found in ancient Burmese, Chinese and Thai artwork and customize wood carvings to suit clientele who admire the Eastern Asian style of wood carving found in shrines, palaces and temples.