indigenous bentwood

The indigenous bentwood box is a unique technique developed by the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest Coast. A single plank of cedar is kerfed, steamed, and bent to form four seamless corners of a box. This glue-free method preserves the continuous grain of the wood, creating a strong, watertight, and visually stunning vessel. This ancient method lends itself to numerous extensions to modern day furniture and these I explore in some of my pieces. The main difficulty lies in the utility nature of the original boxes, whereas for modern wooden furniture perfection is required.