This piece was recently made for the latest Worshipful Company of Turners’ biennial turning exhibition which took place on the 18th – 19th October 2023 at Pewterers’ Hall, London.
New for this year was a Master’s Exhibition, selected by invitation only. This exhibition aspired to showcase the finest woodturning in the UK, and had leading artists providing for the first time, an exciting and diverse display of turned artwork, using sustainable or reclaimed British timber.
The theme for this year was Coronation, which we were able to interpret in any manner we wished, whilst being respectful of the Worshipful Company of Turners’ core values and long-established Royal Charter.
The Coronation Muscinae Capsule
My piece was inspired by King Charles’ Coronation and his life long interests in environmental issues and the natural world, which I am also incredibly passionate about. The box was very challenging, particularly as it was the first time I had soldered silver on this scale, but I was really happy with the finished piece despite the struggle!
The form originates from Muscinae – the original scientific name for mosses – the oldest land plants on earth at 450 million years. It echoes the mosses seed capsule, and the piece contains seeds from the Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil, Northern Ireland’s shamrock and English rose, unifying the flora of the four nations of the Untied Kingdom.
The colouring of the body of the piece represents King Charles’ use of his grandfather King George VI Coronation robes with ermine trim in his bid to be more sustainable. It is painted with milk paint, an eco-friendly finish that has been used for thousands of years.
The capsule’s lid symbolises the St. Edward’s crown with it’s precious metals and purple velvet. The original crown was thought to be silver and date back to the eleventh century saint Edward the Confessor (as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry), before it was melted in during the English Civil War in 1649 and remade in gold by the Royal Goldsmith, Robert Vyner in 1661.
Eco-friendly materials were used throughout, including the peristome made from recycled silver and a gold ball created from my grandmother’s wedding ring, and responsibly sourced English sycamore. The silver was hallmarked at the Goldsmith’s Company Assay Office with the extra Coronation Commemorative mark. The sycamore cap was coloured with sustainably produced Lucea organic plant based watercolour paint, ground from logwood giving it a beautiful subtle purple shade, embellished with water-based resin dots.
English sycamore, recycled sterling silver, recycled 18ct gold, stainless steel, rubber, recycled paper, seeds (daffodil, thistle, dog rose, clover) and milk paint, organic plant based logwood watercolour and resin.
19cm length x 6.5cm wide £1950 + shipping
Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing – thank you!