Wood carving is one of the oldest arts of humankind. Wooden spears from the Middle Paleolithic, such as the Clacton Spear, reveal how humans have engaged in utilitarian woodwork for millennia. However, given the relatively rapid rate at which wood decays in most environments, there are only isolated ancient artifacts remaining.

North American Indian carving includes many everyday objects such as wooden fishhooks and pipe stems. Similarly, Polynesian carving can be found on paddles and the tools of their trade. The natives of Guyana decorated their cassava grater with a well-conceived scheme of incised scrolls, while the natives of Loango Bay embellished their spoons with a design of figures standing up in full relief carrying a hammock. Wood carving is also present in architecture.

Figure-work appears to have been widespread. To carve a figure/design out of wood may be not only more difficult but the results less satisfactory than sculpting with marble, owing to the tendency of wood to crack, be damaged by insects, or be affected by atmospheric changes.

The texture of wood often proves challenging when trying to create the expression and finer features of the face. On the other hand, the rough texture of the wood can lend itself to the more rugged features of the aging face. Magnificent examples exist of the "beetling" of brows, furrows, and lines, all enhanced by the natural defects of the grain of the wood.

In ancient work, the rough surface of the wood may not have been of such importance, since figures were, as a rule, painted both for protection and color. Even from the most ancient of times, color has always been a powerful tool to bring out the beauty and detail of woodcarvings and sculptures, adding depth and dimension to the artwork.

In the early 20th century, the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, on which much of this entry is based, commented, "Of late years, carving has gone out of fashion. The work is necessarily slow and requires substantial skill, making it expensive. Other and cheaper methods of decoration have driven carving from its former place. Machine work has much to answer for, and the endeavor to popularize the craft by means of the village class has not always achieved its own end. The gradual disappearance of the individual artist, elbowed out as he has been, by the contractor, is fatal to the continuance of an art that can never flourish when done at such a distance."

The art and craft of woodcarving continue to survive as demonstrated by the large number of woodcarvers who continue to practice and advance the tradition around the world.