The carver's expertise is evident in the realistically rendered fur of this bear carved from Swiss pine wood. In order to safely guide the blade, the carver's thumb rested on the wood, while the hand made sweeping movements, which allowed the surface to be modelled quickly. Wood carvers from Gröden were considered to be extremely swift in their technique.

Animal motifs like this reclining cow made from unvarnished arolla pine wood were carved mainly in Villnöß during the 19th century and up to the First World War. A range of animals were depicted: exotic beasts from Noah's Ark, yet there were also examples of local animals, mostly characteristic of Alpine romanticism.

A woman with a basket on her back, a man with a sack slung over his shoulder: carved figurines of vagabonds and beggars were a speciality for Gröden artists from the last third of the 18th century. They usually come in pairs and are depicted in a very realistic manner: haggard, often crippled, with ragged clothes, walking stick and hat. Missing or worn-out shoes are another feature of Gröden figurines.

This small carved and painted sculpture shows a couple beneath a tree with a goat nibbling at the woman's bouquet. The sculpture - probably from the 1840s - reflects fashions from the end of the Biedermeier period, while it also demonstrates Gröden wood carvers' adopting of motifs from all sales regions and the manufacture of ceramic items.

This artistic candle holder in empire style carved from a single piece of wood with criss-crossing garlands and acanthus leaves is painted in vivid yellow, red and green. The base on three legs rises up like a pyramid and lends the candle holder a stable, yet elegant look. Carved frames and partially turned candle holders were an important area of production for the Gröden art industry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This delicately figure of an impishly grinning Krampus carved from pear wood carries a basket to keep cigarettes in. It was made by the sculptor Franz Insam de Cësanueva from St. Christina, who created a series of items popular throughout the whole Habsburg empire in the 1870s - not only items such as this one for tobacco consumers, but nutcrackers, too. 

Horse and rider are standing on a pedestal, yet not attached, with a lead weight helping them to keep their balance. The figurine swings when nudged, but still stays up there. The acrobat, turning a circle once nudged, works on the same principle. It is not possible to identify the carvers of these toys, as they are anonymous.

This jointed horse with rider was made from stained nut wood by Josef Insam's company at Neuhaus in St. Christina and was put together using 104 individual pieces. Jointed, turned figurines (for academic purposes or puppets) were produced to a height of 201 cm. Their ball-and-socket joints allowed numerous body positions and they were intended for painters and sculptors, schools and academies.

These pecking hens show that artisan production goes to make up a lot of the value and appeal of wooden toys. When large factories started to manufacture toys cheaply, prices for hand-made toys wooden toys decreased, and Gröden producers struggled financially. This is another reason why, after 1870, production gradually turned to wood carving and sacred items coinciding with the foundation of the art school. 

For a long time, dancing battle horses were children's favourite toys at the time of the Habsburg empire, with the items to be painted sent to Oberammergau at first. It was not until 1800 that the people of Gröden came up with the procedure for the right composition of colour and varnish. And even then, only certain items like doll's heads and rocking horses were painted, mainly by women.