Swedish Dugout Root Burl Bowl

Description

Fine Swedish early 19th Century birch root burl bowl of organic form and having a rich patina and unusual shape, the interior with black discoloration often associated with ale bowls.
Burls, the natural occurring growths found on many trees, are characterized by tight, swirling and intertwined grain. Because of this, when the wood dries it does not split and crack the way most straight grained wood tends to do, so it was found to be a great medium for bowls and food containers. Unlike the North American burl bowls which were turned or thrown on a lathe, the Swedish examples were rough hewn or “dugout” around the organic shape of the burl itself making for an endless variety of shapes and sizes.