Sunday 25 April 2010

A Bowl for the Newly Weds



My darling wife has cousins, nieces and nephews just like the rest of us.

And they sometimes get married. Recently we were invited to a city far, far away for the wedding of one of her very lovely nieces. As it is to be in a city far, far away, I decided not to go, but offered to make something as a wedding present.

After much dithering and several false starts I acquired a lump of African mahogany (khaya senelganesis). Despite the foreign sounding name the tree from which it came grew right here in Darwin ( or close thereto).

The African mahogany is a naturalised Territorian. I have two very sturdy examples in my own backyard.

But despite being on terms of some familiarity with the tree I had not previously used it as for turning, although I had seem some examples of work by others, and knew it could produce very worthwhile results.

So here it is: a lidded bowl, approx 21cm diameter. the lid is formed to take dips, biscuits, cheese etc in two separate sections.

I made a somewhat similar bowl for aforementioned wife, in pine. I assume she did not dislike it too much, as she suggested the design for the wedding bowl.

So here it is: the wedding bowl, African mahogany, orange oil finish (hence the satiny finish), and note the colour of the timber. NO, I did not spill beetroot on the wood!

2 comments:

Missy said...

It's beautiful! I didn't know it was going to be so complex, with the separate parts and everything. Excellent job, I'm sure it will be used and admired.

vsquared said...

Hope so.

The workmanship was as good as I'm capable of, but the timber is beautiful.

love, from the wood butcher.