Vintage Hawaii Norfolk Pine Giant Hollowed out Sphere by R.W. Butts (CWo)

Aloha,

Up for sale from a recent estate in Honolulu Hawaii, this fascinating Vintage Hawaii Norfolk pine carved hollowed out sphere with a finger hole that features a textured black finish and is signed on its base Norfolk Pine Hawaii R.W. Butts. I had an appraiser inspect the piece and he said that he was not sure how the artist was able to hollow out the sphere...there are no seams to be found on the piece but it is obviously possible that a seam is covered up with the texture finish. As I pointed out above the sphere is slightly lighter in color on the top, probably from sun exposure, but that can be remedied. The condition is described above - for more details please check the photos.


Measurements:

20 inches diameter x 18lb


More about the artist:

About Bob



At the age of 15 Bob became interested in woodworking while chopping firewood for his mother in northern California.

He made various wooden things, with whatever tools were available, and his brother would sell them. Bob's enthusiasm for trees and the woods they produced, quite naturally, increased.


In 1967 Bob joined the Coast Guard and was fortunate to be in construction, expanding his knowledge of putting things together. While stationed on Oahu from 1973-1976 Bob learned more about local woods by contact with local woodworkers/businessmen and their generosity with scraps. In 1978 when re-stationed at Sand Island Bob was in charge of the construction team, visiting all of the Coast Guard stations in the Pacific (and gathering indigenous woods). Making wooden anythings quickly became his hobby and Bob soon realized that it might be possible to make a living doing something he really enjoyed - working with wood. Bob retired from the Coast Guard in 1988 and, still on Oahu, decided to make Hawaii his home, with his wife Linda and four children. Bob now makes a living turning bowls and making custom and Hawaiian style furniture, using only locally grown woods.


In 1991 Bob completed a collection of 70 bowls made with 66 different local woods. The largest bowl He´s turned measures 3´ x 40" high and weighed over 1,500 pounds when put on the lathe to be turned. (He likes big things!) Bob´s works have been displayed at different galleries including the Honolulu Academy of Arts and have been featured in local and national television and news publications.



Bob has been named a perennial winner at the annual Woods of Hawaii Woodworking Exhibition, each year receiving an award or two. One of his entries, a spectacular 9 foot wide by 6 foot tall folding screen depicting local scenery, and made from more than 101 different island grown woods, received 3 awards in the HFIA Woods of Hawaii ´96, the 1st place Architecture, Artists´ Choice & People´s Choice Awards. Bob continues to receive various awards for his work displayed in different Shows.


Born the son of a Coast Guardsman and having traveled around the world as a military dependant, Bob was exposed to many cultures and lifestyles, including Hawaiian, during his father's years of active duty. And through the course of years pursuing his own Coast Guard Career and later retirement into woodworking, Bob has developed his expertise in the craft of working with wood & is among the finest of Hawaii's Bowl Turners & Furniture Makers.


Married to Linda December 7, Bob is the father of twin sons Michael & Kevin, daughters Lani & Cristylin, has four children-in-law and is grandfather of eight.

Condition: The item is overall in good pre-owned condition, no cracks, minor scratches the the finish in places, some minor bleaching of the finish on the upper part of the sphere from sunlight, we spoke with a conserver that said a varnish like finish could be re-applied to make the finish look as dark as bottom, the piece is signed on the underside, there is a hole in the top, the sphere is completely hollowed out and I have been not able to figure out how that was achieved, it is a fascinating piece