Yakisugi Vessel from Ash 

Size - D 9cm x H 9cm 

Finish - Tung Oil and Waxes 

A straight sided, sleek and minimal design with a chamfered base.

I’ve been playing with grain orientation to create certain visual effects within this body of work and this is a piece I’m particularly pleased with. 

Sourced from trees that had to be felled a few years ago in our woodland. Unfortunately we have had a lot of problems with ‘ash dieback’ a disease which ash trees get. 

I’m really trying to make the most of this ash wood while we still have it. As such I’ve continued working on these yakisugi pieces and they have come to be a bit of an obsession, really fueling my creative expression. 

‘Yakisugi’ is a Japanese method of wood preservation using fire, dating back to the 18th Century and often used to treat the external wooden cladding of a building. 

Here I’m using Ash which has an open grain structure and the rapid springtime growth is far less dense than the later summer growth. This burns more easily and so when brushed down creates a beautiful texture all over the surface. 

After scorching, the pieces are meticulously burnished using a stiff brush, removing loose char and bringing the surface to a slight polish. 

All pieces are stamped with my makers mark, a very subtle ‘H’ on the underside so as to not detract from the beauty of the object. 

 For decoration or display

- Tung Oil comes from a nut so please be aware if you have a nut allergy.