Large Winged Aspen Burl Bowl (19WS28) SOLD

Every once in a while, I get a very unusual burl that is challenging to turn and turns out to be spectacular. This large, unsymmetrical winged bowl was turned from an aspen burl that I purchased from a logger in the UP of Michigan, near the south shore of Lake Superior. Views of the trimmed burl is shown above mounted on a lathe. Note the branch protruding from top part of the burl and see if you can find it in the completed bowl. Aspen burls are my favorite to turn. They are always challenging with lots of issues like soft decayed areas, cracking along grain lines, worms, and soft areas just under the bark. Aspen burls are also rare. Very few people turn aspen burls for these reasons, but the end result is usually beautiful. The burl was a little too large for my lathe, so I trimmed off a small part of one of the wings. This shows up as a small bark free part of the rim. The grain figuring in this bowl is very special, and the large size really shows it well. The spalting patterns (dark areas and lines) are amazing and the grain figuring includes a lot of curly flame, tight swirls with golden colors, and wavy parallel lines around the edge. There are also bark inclusions, several worm holes and tracks, and a large spectacular knot pattern from the branch. The bowl has a very unsymmetrical shape with protruding wings and dramatic thick bark. All of the soft black areas and grain lines in this bowl were hardened and stabilized with thin CA resin. I am always amazed how beautiful aspen burl bowls are and this justifies all the extra work. The bowl was turned using handheld tools on a lathe from green wood, dried for several months, and sanded to 600 grit. All bowls that are turned green will warp as they dry. I love the look this natural process gives to a bowl. 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 so this bowl can be used to display food. This bowl should last for hundreds of years and improve gracefully with age. This is a collector’s piece and a great example of an aspen burl bowl. Imagine how this would look on a large wood table. It would certainly stimulate lots of conversation and add something special to any room.

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.