Artisan Elm Burl Wooden Vase-circa 1960s, USA

This is a well-crafted, functional gourd vase made out of an elm tree burl. It was made using the turnery or woodturning (on a lathe) method of woodworking at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.
Berea College is a liberal arts school that was instrumental in the Appalachian Arts Movement of the 1960s and into the early 1970s.
Weighs: 1 pound 9 ounces
11” Tall
5.75” Base Diameter
1.5” Mouth Diameter
5.5” Long Neck
19” Burl Circumference
Stands Upright

A wood burl is a rounded, abnormal growth (a "lump") on a tree trunk or branch, formed from stressed wood with
swirling, knotted grain that's prized by woodworkers for beautiful veneers in luxury furniture, musical instruments, and decorative items like bowls and tables, offering unique patterns not found in regular wood. It's caused by injury, fungi, bacteria, or insects, creating dense wood with interlocked fibers, making it hard to work with but very strong and resistant to splitting.
Burl wood features swirling, knotted, and clustered grain patterns with colors varying by species. From light creamy maple to deep chocolate walnut, golden elm, or reddish redwood, burls offer rich textures and unique, often 3D-looking designs ideal for decorative woodturning, furniture, and knife handles, showcasing nature's unpredictable artistry.
Elm burls are rare and is beautiful wood from unusual growths on elm trees. Elm Burls are known for their rich colors and wavy, interlocking patterns. Each elm burl is unique, making every turner piece a one-of-a-kind creation. Elm burl has become a prized veneer wood and is used to make high end furniture and cabinets, dashboards for luxury cars, and wood inlays for executive jets and custom-made yachts.
During the time of the Appalachian Art Movement, skilled woodworkers and turners often called “loggers" or wood sculptors, found elm burls from fallen trees and turned them into art or functional objects.

Burl wood pieces are known to bridge traditional and modern aesthetics. Their distinctive grain patterns and look provide a touch of luxury and natural history, while being both antique and modern. This vessel was turned and carved into the shape of a dipper gourd.
Dipper gourds have a classic shape with a spherical or bulbous base (the "dipper") and a long, thin neck that acts as a handle, resembling a ladle of sorts when dried and cut. Natural voids, cracks, and bark inclusions were intentionally left in the design to give it a rustic, live-edge appearance.
Phenomenal design and craftsmanship.
Memorylanevintiques picked this art piece at an estate sale in Grapevine, TX.
Recommended for decoration with artificial plants or flowers.

ARTISAN WOODTURNING: an AI overview-
Woodturning is called turnery, a craft where a woodworker (a turner) uses a wood lathe to rotate wood while shaping it with hand tools, much like a potter's wheel shapes clay, to create symmetrical objects like bowls, pens, and spindles.
• Woodturning: The general craft or process.
• Turnery: The traditional name for the skills and craft of woodturning.
• Turner: The person operating the lathe.
• Wood Lathe: The machine that spins the wood.
What it Involves:
• Using hand-held chisels and gouges to cut, sand, and form wood.
• Creating axially symmetrical items like bowls, vases, candlesticks, and pens.
• A process similar to pottery but using specialized tools on a lathe.

MemoryLaneVintiques sanitizes all glassware, jewelry, resin made, wooden and glazed pottery before packing for shipment....100% Guaranteed!
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