Arab Spring #2

13″x14″x21″  cherry, bleached alder, cocobolo, latex paint, and white wax

The “Arab Spring” series incorporates Egyptian geometries and grafitti-inspired calligraphy, allowing me to experiment with more relief work on the CNC router. I was so happy with my original three-drawer piece  that I decided to make another with a few changes: cherry wood and bleach to lighten the overall effect and a bottom shelf for magazines.

“Arab Spring #2”, cherry, bleached alder, cocobolo, latex paint, and white wax

Moving clockwise around the box, the calligraphy spells out the words “Arab Spring” in Arabic.

I had an idea that the entire drawers, not just the drawer fronts, could become part of the design if they were housed in a frame rather than a box.

In this close-up, you can see the intricate relief carving which wraps all the way around the back of the box.

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Arab Spring

21″x14″x13″, walnut, tamo ash, dye, graphite

This piece was a commission in which the client let me run wild. Playing with the Egyptian geometries I’ve been interested in, and adding some grafitti-inspired calligraphy allowed me to experiment with more relief work on the CNC router. The idea for a floating black cube was very much inspired by the Kaaba in Mecca.

“Arab Spring”

I had an idea that the entire drawers, not just the drawer fronts, could become part of the design if they were housed in a frame rather than a box.

In this close-up, you can see the intricate relief carving more clearly.

The three drawers, with their hand-carved pulls, are sized to fit paper, pencils, staplers, and other desk goodies.

The relief calligraphy wraps around all four sides of the black cube. I imagined these drawers sitting on a desktop, where they could be seen in the round, like a sculpture.

Here I’ve pasted together photos of each face of the cube. Reading from right to left, the calligraphy spells out the word “Arab Spring” in Arabic.

Kufic Boxes #1 and #2

9″x9″x4″, walnut and upholstery

The maze-like carvings on these jewelry boxes are an ancient form of Arabic calligraphy: they repeat the word for “jewelry” 14 times.

Walnut contrasts with ebonized walnut: which configuration do you like better?

The calligraphy, called square Kufic, transforms the graceful curves of Arabic into square forms which can be repeated and interlaced.

Mamluk Box

20″14″x9″, walnut, wenge, tamo ash, and upholstery

This large two-tiered jewelry box displays latticework based on that found in a Mamluk mosque in Cairo dating from the 13th century.

“Mamluk Box” 20″x14″x9″, walnut, wenge, tamo ash, and upholstery

The upper balcony is upholstered to hold rings and earrings, the lower for bracelets and brooches.

Walnut, walnut burl, and wenge produce subtle dark contrasts.

Each tiny piece of the walnut and wenge lattice was handcut to fit.

Zebra Box

9″x6″x5″, claro walnut, bird’s-eye maple, wenge, zebrawood, and willow

With its inner tray and quirky use of willow twigs, this jewelry box made the perfect wedding gift for a friend.

Through a clever woodworker’s trick, the grain of this beautifully figured walnut runs continuously around all four corner joints.

Moorish Necklace Box

10″x5″x”15″, walnut, zebrawood, and mirror

With a decorative latticework front inspired by Moorish designs, this box opens up like an exotic book of necklaces.

Handcut dovetails, curly zebrawood and a rare-earth magnet closure.

Necklaces hang from hand-carved walnut hooks.

A mirror on the inside of the front cover is a practical touch. The box can hang on a wall at head height or sit on a tabletop as shown here.

 

Ornamented Shaker Boxes

6″x4″x2″, cherry

These designs incorporate Japanese-inspired motifs into the traditional oval Shaker box.