The Burr Walnut

For centuries, furniture makers have treasured burr wood for its unique and intricate grain patterns. Extracting material from trunks, branches, or roots to create fine veneers—cross-sections of rare beauty. This conceptual artwork celebrates the sculptural forms on the exterior layers of such trees; gnarled and contoured bark with complex knots and growths, each distinct and reflective of the tree's history, age, and resilience.

Moulded from various faces of a significant ancient walnut tree, the main body undulates with a myriad of pockmarks and is teeming with pointed nibs and pips. Cast in clean white Jesmonite for high detail, this blank canvas allows the full architecture of the surfaces to be appreciated. Topped with a striking meniscus of golden bronze, it suggests the highly valued contents within the trunk. This large-scale contemporary console serves as a functional art work, expressing the harmonious interplay between nature and artistry.