Bob Stocksdale Teak Turned Wood Bowl with Exceptional Grain Pattern, Early 1970s

An especially well crafted early 1970s teak lathe-turned wood bowl with exceptional grain pattern by important and influential American master woodturner Bob Stocksdale (b. 1913–2003).

Distinguished by a visually striking and technically demanding approach to where and how the concentric grain pattern appears within the lines and forms of the bowl. Creating this piece would’ve required a deep understanding of the wood, very careful planning, and a meticulously executed technique.

Exterior shape with five-inch diameter foot, gently flared straight sides, and thin top edge. Elegantly transitions to a smoothly curved and more shallow interior with thicker than expected walls and bottom.

Grain pattern and interior shape combine to present a fantastic op art-like effect that plays with one’s perception of the bowl’s true form. Very handsome naturally acquired patina gives the interior a rich tone and feel, with darker and warmer areas blending into each other beautifully.

Signed “Bob Stocksdale” and described “Teak from Thailand” with wood burning tool on bottom. A wonderful example of his work that would make for an especially fine addition to any prized collection.

Stocksdale’s highly acclaimed fifty-year-long career spent woodturning out of his Berkeley, California, basement workshop began in 1946, one year after Gump’s in San Francisco began showing his work. His bowls were included in the American exhibit of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, and are in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Oakland Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh, among others.

His many honors include the American Association of Woodturners Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and the American Craft Council’s Gold Medal in 1995. Most importantly, he revitalized and elevated the art of woodturning, inspiring and influencing countless woodworkers around the world, most notably friend and sometime collaborator, Sam Maloof (b. 1916–2009).

Dimensions
Height: 3.88 in.
Diameter: 10.63 in.

Condition Good
Wear consistent with age and use. Great vintage condition. Patina original, natural, and as found. Exterior w/ a couple tiny marks and a light spot. Top edge w/ a couple fleabites and some tiny “bruises”. Interior with some very faint surface level marks/lines.