Bronze bark pendant featuring tiny resin filled cup fungi
£139.00
Product Code: 32790f
Nature inspired bronze bark pendant featuring lots of appliqued hand sculpted tiny cup fungi, filled with deep red resin and set with a citrine coloured cubic zirconium facted gemstone.
I am constantly in awe of the infinite array of textures and colours in the natural world, especially those little details you need to study closely to appreciate and more especially, those I find in woodland. Being a keen photographer and enjoying taking close up photographs, fungi have always fascinated me with their amazing structures. This gold bronze bark textured pendant is inspired by woodland walks with my camera and is a stylised piece of wearable art representing a log covered with masses of delicate cup fungi, some of which appear as tiny spheres on the surface of the bark, such as yellow fairy cups [Bisporella Citrina] and scarlet elf cups. It was the name of the yellow fairy cups that led to me choosing a citrine gemstone for the sparkle.
When the pendant came out of the kiln it was a gorgeous pinky brown colour - but this delightful kiln patina doesn't persist and wouldn't withstand wear, so I polished the piece as normal, but returned some of that gentle colour to the fungi by filling the cups with tiny dots of coloured resin in deep reds, oranges and browns. Each tiny fungi element is sculpted and formed by hand, dried, then applied carefully with a magnifier and tweezers. This design is not pressed out of a mold, it is individually hand sculpted, representing many hours of work.
The pendant is also set with with a gorgeous sparkly citrine coloured cubic zirconium faceted gemstone. As I mention below, not everything comes out of the kiln perfectly and this gemstone is a good example. The surrounding mount cracked whilst being fired, but it is still very firmly set and the gemstone won't come out. But I have adjusted for this in the price. It's also true to say that it's much more noticeable in the photos which are larger than life and it is much less noticeable in person.
Supplied with 2 different chains:
I wasn't sure whether to supply the pendant on a copper chain to match the reds and browns of the resin, or one to match the gold of the bronze. So I'm going to supply one of each with this pendant, so that you can choose to mix and match. The main photograph shows it on a gold plated cable chain and the others show it on a copper belcher (rollo) chain. I only have one short length of the matching gold plated chain, so that will be supplied at 18" (457mm) - although it can be shortened if you prefer. Please choose what length you would prefer the copper chain, as I will make that one up to order - I would perhaps suggest something different, so you can wear the pendant different ways. So please do let me have your preferred size for both chains when ordering (maximum 18" for the gold plated one).
The pendant measures 37mm (1½") tall by 13mm (0.6") at its widest. The back features a hidden bark textured bail and there is more of the tiny fungi decoration, as can be seen in one of the photographs above.
Larger photos:
If you'd like to see more detail on the pendant, I have created a gallery featuring larger versions of the photographs above.
What is metal clay?
Metal clay (now available in base metals like copper, bronze, iron, steel and brass and precious metals like silver and even gold) is a clay like medium made from tiny particles of metal, combined with an organic binder and made into a pliable clay or paste with water. After working with the clay-like medium to form the article, it is thoroughly dried to remove all of the water, the shape is further refined and then fired at very high temperature in a kiln to both burn off the binders and to cause the metal particles to fuse together as solid metal - this firing takes a full day to complete - at which time I tend to work with crossed fingers, hoping that the kiln gods are smiling on me that day and it fires successfully. Not everything does.
Please note that due to the value and unique nature of this item, it will be posted Special Delivery within the UK (which will require signature on delivery) or by a signed for International service where the service is available. There is no additional charge for this, it is my preference to send it in this manner.
