Banya Bather High-Relief Panel

A steamy bathhouse scene carved in deep relief, a nude bather resting in the banya. The panel depicts a young woman seated on a wooden bench, one arm raised behind her head, long wavy hair spilling over her shoulder, with a draped cloth across her lap and legs. Around her the scene is dressed out in classic Russian banya props: a slatted wooden wash tub, a stone stove or heater with a window, a hanging birch besom and a sunflower tucked into the upper corner, all framed by an organic scrolled border. It is a high-relief carving with strong undercuts and a lot of depth between the raised figure and the recessed plank wall behind her. Because the artwork contains explicit nudity, it is intended as mature decorative art for a sauna, banya or adult retreat rather than a general-audience piece. Print notes: • This is a demanding deep-relief cut; rough with a large ballnose, then finish the figure and hair with a fine tapered ball (1mm or smaller) to hold the flowing detail. • Machine into a stable close-grained hardwood so the raised limbs and border scrolls do not chip. • Keep the panel flat-clamped and take light finishing passes across the deepest pockets around the tub and stove. • For resin printing, lay it face-up and support the deepest undercuts; a warm wood-tone paint wash lifts the carved shadows.