Chisel Carved Cherry Bowls

Carving and Texture

Almost all of the bowls that I make have some sort of carved texture.  This set of cherry bowls, carved on the outside with a flat chisel is one of my favorite textures.  Each blow of the mallet and chisel leaves evidence of the carving while creating a loose flow of facets that play well with light.  Unable to stop there, I continued to carve the inside with a small gouge, following the same directional flow as the exterior carving.

Kakishibu dying

The finish carved bowls were coated in kakishibu.  Kakishibu is a highly tannic liquid that comes from persimmons.  It’s a traditional dye used in Japan on wood, fabrics, and papers.  After applying the kakishibu, I added a coat of food grade lime which reacts with  the kakishibu, bringing out a rich warm brown color.  The color is very reminiscent of aged cherry.

Linseed Oil Finish

A heavy coating of linseed oil has been applied to further protect the wood.  We supply a small tin of a beeswax and linseed oil mix with each bowl.  Periodically a light coating of the beeswax/linseed oil mix with help keep these bowls looking rich.