As of: February 3, 2024, 5:15 p.m
By: Cornelia Schramm
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Working at eye level: Anton Ostler from Mittenwald shows his larvae.
© Thomas Sehr
The mountain village of Mittenwald is known for its carnival culture.
This also includes larvae, the artistically carved masks made of stone pine wood.
A visit to Toni Ostler's workshop.
Mittenwald – Anton Ostler works at eye level.
Even if there is only one wooden head in front of him.
He holds a carving iron in one hand and a mallet in the other.
On tiptoe, he scrapes the wooden round that is screwed to the end of a long beam, step by step, into the larva.
“The large carving irons are used to carve out the profile including the indentations on the nose, chin and eyes,” says Ostler.
“I have the finished larva in my head.” The sculptor runs the iron over the hump.
A chip sails to the ground.
However, too much wood should not be lost on the future nose.
A larva needs character – with coarse teeth.
In many Mittenwald families, the collection of masks made from stone pine wood is passed down from generation to generation.
Without a larva, there is no Fosnacht, no Gungl.
Anton Ostler knows families who keep over 60 larvae like treasures in chests or even in their own chambers.
Nevertheless, today's larval carvers have a lot to do.
The high season is from autumn to the start of the carnival season.
Anyone who always wears the same larva as a Mashkera would be exposed far too quickly.
Mittenwald: Larvae with character have nothing to do with Halloween grimaces
“Larvae are popular Christmas and birthday presents for our boys or grandchildren,” says Ostler.
For example, he gives the next larva that is finished in his workshop to his nephew.
It should be a Hobangoas, a kind of devil.
Ostler points to the half-finished larva with black horns.
In the end, it shouldn’t have a “porcelain-smooth” shine.
Ostler will water the wood several more times and then paint it with lime paint.
“This is not a completely classic larva,” he explains.
“But tradition is supposed to be fun.
But it’s still important to me that you can see the craftsmanship of the larva.”
Sculptor Anton Ostler carves his larvae out of his head.
© Thomas Sehr
Classic larvae have smaller, round faces with red cheeks, carved mustaches and painted locks of hair.
“The smaller the larva, the larger the wearer appears,” says Ostler, who is a teacher at the School of Wood and Design in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and has been carving larvae since his youth.
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And every good Mittenwald larva has to be able to do one thing: “It should look timeless and ghostly.
She should look at you directly - and then again not.
There has to be a bit of horror, but not like in a horror film.”
A larva and its carrier have to merge, that's what makes the spectacle of Fosnacht.
Sculptor Toni Ostler
Speaking of which: Ostler would never carve “Hollywood masks”.
No George Clooney, no Halloween grimaces.
And what about the King of Rock 'n' Roll?
“I might even carve a larva based on Elvis,” he says and grins.
“If it fits the respective mashkera.
The larva and carrier have to merge, that’s what makes the spectacle of Fosnacht.”
Ostler spends twelve hours carving a larva.
If he worked to order and made models in advance, it would take longer.
Professional larvae builders can charge between 500 and 1000 euros per piece.
(sco)