Original sculptures
Find the one that belongs with you
Own a collector’s piece that could never come from a factory.
The Curio & Co. sculpture collection is a series of hand carved black walnut art objects made on commission by Cesare Asaro. From carving and shaping to sanding and polishing, every stage is carried out by hand, with no synthetic coatings. Because no two pieces of wood are the same, no two sculptures are ever identical in dimension or character.
Black walnut is the heart of every piece, chosen for its grain depth and natural warmth. The finish is 100% pure tung oil, non-toxic and food-safe, which cures to a low-luster matte sheen and makes the wood’s grain vivid and alive. Where the design calls for it, other materials come into play: horsehair, boar hair, and brass for texture and contrast, with coffee and cinnamon used on some pieces to deepen and enrich the surface.
The work draws on three design traditions, each bringing something distinct. The Arts and Crafts movement shows in the attention to process: every decision about shape, surface, and finish is made deliberately, with genuine respect for what the material is already doing. Mid-century modernism contributes the warmth, the rounded volumes, and the optimistic forms. Nordic design provides the restraint and resolution that places these pieces firmly in a contemporary context.
The collection also belongs to a longer and more domestic tradition: objects that earn a spot on display and reward the curiosity of a closer look, from the what-not shelf of the nineteenth century to the designer collectibles of today.
The sculptures are grouped into three series: the Idols, figurative and totemic; the Botanical, where organic forms meet intricate carved floral patterns; and the Gentle, pure of form, smooth, and made as much for the hand as for the eye. The Idols look to ancient Pacific and African cultures, where a carved figure is not merely decorative but worth paying close attention to, and where the art of carving has always carried ceremony and significance. The series carries that spirit forward, with admiration for what those cultures have always understood about wood, skill, and design. All three series are available on commission from Curio & Co., each piece carved to order by Cesare Asaro from black walnut and finished by hand with pure tung oil.
The Sculpture Collection
Patient craft, natural materials, and a maker's mark on every piece.
Wood, oil, and patience
Each piece is carved from black walnut, a hardwood chosen for its density, its warmth, and the way it transforms under oil into something rich and alive.
At this scale, every decision shows
No two pieces share exactly the same dimensions. Every sculpture is carved and finished by hand to a smoothness that makes putting it down difficult.
Because some things still matter
Every piece begins with the idea that objects made slowly, from natural materials, by human hands, still have a place in the world.
Maybe even more so now.
Your piece, from start to finish
In six weeks, something made exclusively for you
arrives at your door.
Choose your design and place a 20% deposit to begin. And because the work begins right away with the cutting of the wood, the deposit is non-refundable. Over the next six weeks, photographs and videos will be sent along the way so you can watch your sculpture take shape. Once it’s finished, a final payment of the remaining 80% confirms the piece is officially yours, and your sculpture is on its way.
Meet the collection
Three series,
each with its own distinct
character and story.
The Idols are figurative and full of presence, celebrating the bold character of mid-century tiki style and the ancient carving traditions it drew from. The Botanical series pairs smooth organic forms with intricate carved patterns. The Gentle series is pure form, smooth and quiet, and made to be held. The collection continues to grow, with new designs in the making. So there's always a reason to come back.
Details that can’t be rushed
Extraordinary precision happens when the right tools meet the right hands, and neither is in a hurry.
Across the entire collection, the carving is done entirely with hand tools: chisels, gouges, and knives chosen for the specific demands of each cut. In the Botanical series this means intricate floral patterns carved slowly and with complete attention. In the Idols and the Gentle series it means sharp, confident edges and surfaces curved to exactly the right degree of softness. The result in every case is a surface that looks considered, because it is.
The material and the maker are always in conversation.
Every decision is dictated by the shape and the material. Design follows function for best estetics.
Designed with nature
The grain of the wood is not something to work around, it is something to work with.
Black walnut arrives with its own patterns, its own character, its own grain. The maker’s first job is to read the grain, following it where it leads and letting it set the direction. Sometimes a striking knot or an unexpected pattern becomes a deliberate feature of the finished design rather than something to be hidden. What you see in the final result is a piece of wood that has been understood as well as carved.
Favorites
Tarot of Musterberg
Gadabout TM-1050 Time Machine Manual
Spaceman Jax - Through the Mantagon Minefield
Time for Frank and His Friend
Frank and His Friend - Special Collector's Edition, Vol. 1
Finding Frank and his Friend
