Phillip Lloyd Powell, Dining Table, USA

This exceptional dining table by master craftsman Phillip Lloyd Powell is one of the best examples of his affinity for natural wood, and his dexterity in creating unique works that highlight wood’s inconsistencies rather than masking them. His hand carving mimics the natural texture and movement of tree bark. Supports that extend from the base cleverly allude to branches with their cut ends exposing the wood’s internal structure. Typical in Powell’s works is the Pennsylvania slate top resting on a subtle band of gold leafed wood. Powell’s furniture routinely transcended the sleek, clean lines associated with mid-century modern furniture. Each sinuous piece was painstakingly hand-carved in reverence to the material, emphasizing the intrinsic texture, knots, and imperfections in the material. This unique table has all of the hallmarks of the American craft resurgence of the mid-1960s which Powell was instrumental in invigorating – small studio production, a disavowal of prefabrication, and reverence for materials.