A Drop in Time

Project Info

Meticulously crafted from 4,500-year-old bog oak veneer, this contemplative wall sculpture celebrates the remarkable history and natural beauty of an extraordinary material.

Carbon dated to around 2500 BC, the bog oak was excavated from the Spessart Forest in Germany before being cut into veneer. Rather than combining multiple species or decorative effects, the focus of the artwork centres solely on this single ancient timber.

The vision for the project developed through a process of experimentation and technical planning. A reinterpretation of the traditional starburst veneer-cutting pattern creates a series of radiating ripples that reveal the veneer’s natural tonal gradient, drawing the viewer’s attention to the passage of time embodied within the wood.

The sculpture comprises 452 individually hand-cut veneer segments arranged as a central disc surrounded by four concentric rings. Each piece was carefully cut, laid and finished by hand before being mounted within a sapele tray frame. The precision of the making contrasts with the organic variation of the ancient timber, creating a captivating surface that invites reflection on both the craftsmanship involved and the millennia recorded within the material itself.