Peacock tea service
Fifteen pieces, a peacock on every one, and more gold than anything else we have.
$117
Carved ebony turtle
$420
Thirteen scutes, because that is how many a green turtle has.
Materials & dimensions
- Salvaged Ceylon ebony (kaluwara)
- Hand-rubbed oil finish
- Signed underside
26 × 8 × 18 cm · 640 g
Care
Dust with a dry cloth. Re-oil once a year. Keep it away from radiators and direct sun — ebony is dense and dry heat will open a check along the grain. It is heavier than it looks; do not put it on a narrow shelf.
Shipping & duties
Free standard shipping
Express $43.20
North America · 640 g
Import duties and taxes are set by United States, not by us. They are not included above, and your carrier collects them on delivery.
The story
A green turtle has thirteen scutes on its carapace — five down the centre, four on each side. Nimal carves thirteen. He is aware that nobody counts them and he carves thirteen anyway, which is roughly the whole argument of this shop compressed into one object.
Ceylon ebony, salvaged from old estate furniture. It is dense enough to sink in water and hard enough that the scute relief has to be cut in many shallow passes rather than a few deep ones; going deep in kaluwara means the chisel finds the grain and takes a chip out of the next scute along. This one took eleven days.
The flippers are carved extended, in the swimming position rather than the walking one. Kosgoda, an hour up the coast from his shed, is one of the main green turtle nesting beaches on the island.
Edition of twenty-four, signed underneath.
Nimal Gunasekara
Ambalangoda, Southern Province · working since 1989
