Shootin' For Egyptian

[John Hart]

Well, I don't know if I achieved it, but I really wanted this piece to have a heavy Egyptian influence. Ya'll can decide. :) I'm pleased with the weight and wall thickness. The rim of the mouth is about .040 (a bit under 1/16) but gradually thickens to around 1/8" body wall. It has some weight to it. I really didn't want it light.

The collar and foot are English Sycamore, and if you ever have an opportunity to turn this wood....seize the moment. What a pleasurable experience that is. It is dense...bright white, with cool little dark brown specks. My AO ambered it, but my next bout will get something a little more clear.

The mouth is walnut burl and the body is a piece of a cherry crotch. It has some nice figure and a feather.

Anyway...it stands 13" tall and 4.5 diameter. Finished in just the first coat of AO. (I was excited I didn't break it, so I had to take some pics):D

Comments and critiques most welcome!
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[Phillip Key]

I really like it. I do see the Egyptian influence, but my wife walked up behind me and said "Is that a bowling pin?" and now I can't un-see that :D.

She got closer and saw that it wasn't a bowling pin and asked when I was going to make her one like it :p

[Cathy Schaewe]

Wow, I really like that. Great job! It's not drooling, though ...

[John Hart]

uuuuuuh......UUUUUUUUHHHH!!!:eek::D

[Pete Jordan]

I can't get the Bangles out of my head.

Nice job!

[Cathy Schaewe]

I can't get the Bangles out of my head.



Not good. That may require surgery. ;):D

[John Hart]

A Bangles-inspired bowling pin...hmmmm:rolleyes:

Now why didn't I think of that. :D

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - I like the form but was curious if you had a photo or something that you used as a reference for an 'Egyptian' style? I can Google stuff but when it comes to pottery forms - the variety seems endless!

[John Hart]

Steve....It seems endless because really...It is!! The styles from the Egyptian empire were both functional and aesthetic. Their reasons for mouth and neck shape were mainly based on keeping stuff out, so the narrow neck and mouth was used. However, those styles were difficult to pour, so wider mouths with narrow necks were incorporated. But...no...I did not use a photo as a design guide. I just picked attributes that I liked and put them together. The range of styles allows you to do almost anything, but the mouth and neck are the most prominently consistent feature....so I just kinda lean that way.

The Romans stole much of the culture around Egyptian pottery, so you'll see a narrower field of examples from the Romans. What people call Roman pottery, is really Egyptian, in my view.

[Curt Fuller]

Looks like 21st century neo-modern, eastern Ohio to me. But I like it anyway.

[David E Keller]

I should preface this with the following statement:

"I know little of history and nothing of Egyptian history and design"

Whew! Now that that's out of the way... I really like this piece, but if anything, it strikes me as somewhat modern... Very clean lines, no adornment, clean, simple, etc. Everything old is new again, huh? It think it's a really cool looking piece.

Pete, thanks for putting that song in my head... I guess I'll see you in the surgery waiting area.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John I like the from and finish. Kinda has a egyptian look to it. Also has a modern tune to it.

[Roger Chandler]

Can you turn 10 of them and a sphere? I know a good game we can play! :D:rolleyes: Seriously your work is always nice John........I like the contrast of the woods and your finish is always good as well.

Did the Egyptians invent bowling? :p:rolleyes::D

[Brian Effinger]

Nice vase, but I'm not sure about Egyptian.

Maybe if it had some legs and was walking.... :p :D

*Edit* Hey, I just noticed, AO??? And AO on the last piece too??? Are you using up all of the lacquer before you finish turning? :p :D

[Jim Underwood]

You must be kidding... At 1/16th to 1/8th inch thick I don't know how you can say "it has some weight to it".

But I like it none-the-less. And (to me at least) it does seem to have an Egyptian feel to it.

[Gary Conklin]

Nice vase John. I like the forms and vases you have been doing lately, curious about the uses of different woods.

[charlie knighton]

very nice, John

exhibit you may be interested in

http://www.smm.org/tut/

same time period as st paul

[bob svoboda]

I like it. I don't like the Bangles. See y'all in surgery.

[Peter P. Brown]

I totally get the Egyptian shape. I see it, almost. It needs a foot. When I cover it up with my hand and say "Egyptian" my brain adds a foot.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Cleopatra would have loved it..........Well, Liz Taylor would have loved it when she played Cleo. It must look Egyptian.
faust

[Jim Burr]

TOGA!!!
Im still singing that stupid song.
It's growing on me John...still not a fan 3-4 species in a piece, but these look nice together.

[John Hart]

Thanks again everyone! Jim, I am sympathetic to those who aren't exactly comfortable with multi-species stuff. And to tell you the truth, I was hesitant to delve that direction. But I just couldn't get over how often people pick those pieces up first. It's like the more that's going on....the more they want to touch it and look at the joinery, and stick their fingers in it.
I don't know...maybe it just a "play with the toy" thing.

Personally...this piece reminds me of a pheasant.....a The rare Egyptian Bowling Pin Pheasant :)

Anyway...today, in my spare time, I dug up some examples of some Egyptian stuff that inspires my direction. Now, there's lots of Egyptian pottery that I just can't stand, but like I said earlier, I kinda pick and choose features that I like.....Like I imagine they did 3000+ years ago.

Here's a vase out of King Tuts tomb. When I turned something like this 5 years ago, I was told "The Foot's Too Fat!!!!" And I agree....the foot's too fat. But I like the shoulder and the little neck.

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Here is either a Perfume Bottle or a Tear Bottle. The oldest reference to Tear Bottles is in the Old Testament, around the time of David (about 1000 BC) so it is pure speculation that it originates in Egypt. But nevertheless, this bottle has some cool features to steal.
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Here's a contemporary replica of Tear Bottles (Mostly based on Roman stuff...but then the Romans were notorious thieves of style)
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Here's some contemporary replicas of Egyptian Perfume Bottles
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I really like this jug. And I think you can see the similarity in the neck on the Bowling Pin Pheasant Vase. This guy is from the 25th Century BC. (4500 years ago)
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Here's some Wine Vessels from about the same time period.
(No...the wine isn't any good any more. :rolleyes: tsk...lushes)
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This vessel is a little more recent....around 1000 BC. Now this piece....if it had no neck, would violate the forms we try to create. But the mid-way transition seems to work nicely with a tall neck....and oddly...a straight tall neck. It even looks nice without the handle I think. (Keep in mind...I have no sense of style whatsoever)
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Hmmmm...I had a flask...where'd that go?:confused:

Next frame maybe

[John Hart]

Ok...Here's the flask. This guy, if I remember right is from 3500 BC. Same thing...kinda straight at the neck...a little flair.
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Here's another contemporary tear bottle. By the way...tear bottles are for catching tears. Some kind of soul thing I think where your tears contain remnants of you...or something like that. Personally, I think tears might be a cocktail that you might get grossed out about looking in a microscope.
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Anyway...just wanted to share my thoughts....goofing off...waiting for the day to end :)

[Tim Rinehart]

Call it what you must, infer fluence from wherest you will....I like it. Nice flow and interesting combo of woods.
You got guts JH....not chicken guts either...

[John Keeton]

John, I have come back to this one several times trying to decide my thoughts on it. Several of the Egyptian pieces you just posted, for whatever reason, just don't do much for me - except the "fat" one - that one I like! The one you have turned is very "clean" in that none of the elements competes for center stage. The overall form is rather "clean", too. I just don't know yet!! No doubt, it is very well done, I just can't fall in love with it. I guess I just ain't cultured 'nuff!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

John I'm also on the fence on this one as far as the form goes. That said it looks like you've done a excellent job on the turning, joinery, & finishing.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Shootin' For Egyptian"

Is that legal? Either way, I don't think it looks at all like a bowling pin. Well, not totally like a bowling pin anyway. The upper half does remind me of a top hat though. I like this more because it is different than for any other reason. When you see a form like this, whatever your immediate reaction is to it, it makes you stop and think about it. So we could say it's "thought provoking" and that's a good thing, right?

[Tim Thiebaut]

I think this turning is very cool John, again you pulled off 3 different types of wood on the same turning very well!

[jwjerry w kowalski]

John, it's very well done as usual, but the top looks a little too plain to me, mabe a flare or something at the top, but heck, what do I know, i'm still trying to use a skew chisel properly.

[Pete Jordan]

And here is a picture of The Bangles

[BILL DONAHUE]

That is really beautiful and it does look Egyptian to me. What does"my AO ambered it" mean?

[Steve Campbell]

I like the form, but the use of three different woods looks great to me. It does it for me.

Steve

[John Hart]

Thanks again everyone. these thoughts and observations really help me to move forward. I doubt I'd be doing much more than bonkers without the help of the SMC vortex!!


...So we could say it's "thought provoking" and that's a good thing, right?

That, my friend is exactly what I hope for!!


That is really beautiful and it does look Egyptian to me. What does"my AO ambered it" mean?

Thanks Bill. The English Sycamore was this brilliant white color after I finished sanding, and the Antique Oil has just enough amber color to it, that it kinda dull the brilliant white of the wood. I can't say that I'm disappointed because it might have been too bright, but I know that I'll avoid any amber finishes in the future with this wood.

[David Reed]

"Shootin' For Egyptian"

Is that legal?

I suspect it was legal 'back in the day' if you have a license. You do have a license don't you?
Very nicely executed Egyptian (form).

[Bill Wyko]

Quite a beautiful piece. You were right on with the Egyptian look.
Not trying to take away from it what so ever.
Something that might be useful in the future to add as a feature, I use a piano wire and a skew to carve a line at the joint of the woods and the wire burns a decoraive black line in it. Sometimes I'll make 3 close lines in the light colored woods. Only a though, the piece is georgous just as it is.

[Baxter Smith]

Very colorful wood combo John! Reminds me of one of the lesser known egyptian forms from around the time of King Bowlerama.:)

[John Hart]

Very colorful wood combo John! Reminds me of one of the lesser known egyptian forms from around the time of King Bowlerama.:)

Oh yeah....wasn't that the dynasty that stopped making wine and switched to beer?

[Curt Harms]

I can't get the Bangles out of my head.
...........


this should help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5N7RNQUKts :)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5N7RNQUKts)

[John Hart]

AO..AO ooooooh :)