Once in a great while among all of the pieces of timber available, a single unique piece is discovered. The marvelous complex grain pattern, color, and shape of the burled slab that forms the top of this table stands out because it was so very, very beautiful. Touching is required…

The basis for this piece of wood art began with the discovery of the magnificent slab of the live-edged American bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) burl that created the top for this special work of art. Though rough the timber showed just a teasing hint of the special character that lay underneath the ragged, rustic exterior - a marvelous combination of intense burls; wavy long grain; randomly spaced bird’s-eye grain; intriguing inclusions; and excellent chatoyance (opalescence reminiscent of looking into a cat’s eye) that stand as a testimony of the tree’s long life. Note how wonderfully the wild natural edge of the slab balances the intensely-grained top surface. From the moment that the artist laid eyes on this piece of maple, the not-so-subtle musings of nature literally begged for a transformation from rough timber into an artistic table. The result stands before you as unrivaled beauty.

The book-matched table legs and spreaders, have been fabricated from a single plank of figured American black walnut (Juglans nigra) specifically selected to compliment the strong grain patterns of the top. Adjustable felt feet have been added to allow for leveling of the table on any surface.

The lower shelf, fashioned from off-cuts along the rear of the top burl, has been added to compliment the overall design as well as the unique character of the tabletop.

The success of the design depends upon precise hand-chiseled mortise-and-tenon joints (Japanese jigoku-kusabi joinery technique) for permanent attachment of all pieces to create a table that will last for generations. Note that the short-spreader attachment to the rear cross spreader utilizes a through-tenon version of this specific Japanese joint with a pair of walnut wedges used to lock the tenon in place.

The table has been hand finished with a durable satin lacquer to highlight the natural color and protect the beautiful character of the timbers while giving the table a warm feeling to the touch.