Bathhouse Bather Comic Relief Plaque

A wry slice of bathhouse humour carved in deep relief. This framed plaque shows a wizened, bald old man with a long flowing beard, seated on plank boards as he grooms himself in a steamy washroom: one hand tugging a comb through his whiskers, legs drawn up with a big splayed foot thrust forward in the foreground. The scene around him is richly told, with a leaning mirror, a bottle perched on a little shelf, a rolled towel and a hanging gourd-flask, all set against a planked timber wall. The figure is shown nude in the traditional bathhouse (banya) style, a comedic folk carving rather than anything explicit, so it suits a sauna, a bathroom wall or a collector of characterful relief art with a sense of humour. CNC notes: • A detailed pictorial relief best cut with a fine 1-2 mm tapered ball nose for the beard strands, wood grain and facial creases. • Rough out with a larger bit first; the deep pocket around the figure needs stepped clearance passes. • Carve in a tight-grained wood such as lime, alder or maple to hold the fine hair and toe detail without tear-out. • Wipe a dark stain into the recesses and lightly sand the highlights to bring out the storytelling depth.