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Hollow-Turned Lidded Container
Spalted Maple with African Blackwood

This hollow-turned lidded container, created from spalted maple wood and with an African Blackwood lid and seat, was influenced by my youthful days living in Hawaii as well as my travels through Asia. The lightly spalted but very figured Maple vessel was turned to capture its voids, bark inclusions and figured grain patterns, and has been fitted with a highly-polished and unique lid.

African Blackwood will hold a finish so well that on occasion I'm even asked about the shiny black "plastic" caps on some of my turnings. The shape of the Coolie Hat is utilized in the lid for two reasons: one, because of my fascination of the Asian culture - but second, for the ease of handling. The removal of this unique lid - turned to extremely exacting mechanical tolerances - is fairly straight forward: all one needs to do is pull the cone shape pin and lift the Coolie Hat off of the vessel.

I am often asked about the purpose or intended usage of a piece such as this. This particular turning could serve multiple functions - as a purely artistic piece for those who enjoy the final form, or (because of its many natural holes) as a larg potpourri containe. I enjoy creating these kinds of pieces and draw an enormous amount of satisfaction from knowing that without my intervention, this piece of wood would have otherwise been destined to the firewood pile or left to rot in the forest.

This piece has been accepted to the 2004 Westmoreland Art Nationals Juried Exxhibition and the 2004 Westmoreland Art Heritage Festival Juried Exhibition.