Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Shigir Idol stands as the oldest known wood carved sculpture, dating back approximately 12,000 years. This massive piece of larch was discovered in Russia and remains a rare survivor from deep prehistory.
Germany, Russia, Italy, and France produced typical themes centered around Christian iconography during that era. In England, many complete examples remain from the 16th and 17th century where oak served as the preferred medium.
Wood is vulnerable to decay, insect damage, and fire unlike stone or bronze. These organic materials rot away over time leaving only fragments behind.
Basswood known also as tilia or lime ranks among the most common woods used for carving in North America. Tupelo serves as another hardwood that is relatively easy to work with.
Carvers arrange delicate parts of a design along the grain instead of across it since this strategy prevents breakage. The fork of two branches was utilized for its divergent grain in traditional Welsh shepherd's crooks.