Rusted Oak Vessels

2019

Signed and dated

This collection of rusted vessels is made from an ancient Sussex Oak tree. The black staining that ebbs and flows throughout the collection is caused by old wrought iron nails that were submerged in the oak. Mills extracted the nails with chisels and gouges and discovered them to be in the region of 100 years old, evident by the wrought iron material and their hand forged marks. The nails would have hammered into the side of the oak tree around one hundred years ago and were then submerged as the tree grew over the course of a century. As the nails rusted the this natural patina formed as a result of a process of oxidisation. The metal reacts with the natural tannins in the oak and the wood slowly changes into this midnight blue / black colour.