Natural-edged Bowl in Burr Elm, with textured rim
Diameter 28cms
Burr Elm must be one of the most striking woods there is. Elm is now becoming increasingly scarce following the outbreak of Dutch Elm Disease some years ago, and consequently it has become more expensive. Nevertheless, it is a stunningly beautiful timber and a joy to work with on the lathe.
This particular piece was retrieved from the yard of my local hardwood timber merchant, where it was part of the "first slice" taken along a tree trunk prior to sawing the trunk into flat boards. This bowl started life as one of those ugly-looking lumps you often see on Oak, Ash and Elm trees in the countryside - cankerous growths which produce a dense mass of tiny twigs. They may disfigure the tree in the eyes of some people, but when removed and turned on the lathe they can make some of the most strikingly beautiful pieces.
I hand-carved the rim of this bowl to give it a contrasting texture, and stained the piece with five or six coats of Danish Oil before using a pure beeswax polish to give it a deep sheen.
