English Walnut Vessel

2019

Signed and dated

This vessel is made from old English Walnut. The piece comes from a tree that fell in high winds after standing in the West Sussex countryside for over 150 years. English Walnut is a very rare wood having been a prized material of Cabinet Makers and Gun Makers for centuries. This piece features complex and heavy grain patterns, knotty features and deep walnut tones. The center of the tree can be seen on either side of the vessel evident by a series of cracks that meet in the middle surrounded by growth rings. The wood was still v high in moisture when it was mounted on the lathe, and was turned slowly and delicately to achieve a very thin wall thickness. As the piece dried over an extended period of time it warped and distorted into this final organic form.