Large Aspen Burl Bowl (20WS24) SOLD

This  bowl was turned from a very large aspen burl that was purchased from loggers in Hovland, MN. The trimmed burl weighed close to 90 pounds. I used a shop crane to hoist it onto my lathe. Images are shown of this process and of the burl on the lathe. This is the first bowl turned on my new Stubby lathe. The bowl is also the largest one I have turned. It could not have been turned on any of my other lathes. Aspen burls are very rare, and one of this size is exceptional, the largest I have seen. The bowl has amazing figuring and colors, and the jagged bark edge adds a special rugged beauty. The swirling and meandering lines, the tighter bird’s eye swirls, and the red-brown-golden colors are stunning and typical of aspen burl, although this is an especially nice example. This bowl also has a lot pearly chatoyance in the lighter areas and just under the bark edged rim. This causes the bowl to give the illusion of curling waves. The combination of the golden colors, grain figuring, and jagged bark that surrounds the top edge of the bowl is beautiful, and combined with the large size, it is breath taking. Aspen burls are difficult to turn due to decay, inclusions, and separation along grain lines. I use a thin cyanoacrylate resin to stabilize and seal the problem areas. The dark patterns in the bowl are due to this stabilized decay. This bowl was turned from green wood and allowed to move as it dried for several months. This adds a natural warping that I really like, but it requires re-turning the outside bottom of the bowl. The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe, dried for several months, and sanded to 600 grit. The bowl was sealed with two coats of tung oil, hand sanded after each coat, and finished with a buffed thin coat of beeswax and walnut oil. This finish is considered food safe, although this bowl is best suited for artistic display. This bowl is very unusual and the best I have turned so far. It is museum quality and designed for the collector of fine wood art. It would be amazing as the center piece on a large table. A big thanks to my wife Inger for holding the bowl in one of the photos. It is difficult photographing a bowl of this size, especially giving a perspective on the size. This bowl looks much better when seen in person, especially in different light. The chatoyance is impossible to show in a photo.

All my bowls are can be returned for a full refund if you are unsatisfied for any reason within 60 days. You must only pay the return shipping.

All of my bowls come with a laminated card with images of the bowl and burl, a complete description of the bowl and making process, and the artist's bio on the back side. There is no price on the card so it can be used if the bowl is given as a gift.