AWGB Woodturning Forum

General Category => Gallery => Topic started by: Les Symonds on January 30, 2020, 07:06:39 PM

Title: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 30, 2020, 07:06:39 PM
Branwen's Cauldron....there is a tale in ancient Celtic culture of Branwen (Welsh for white crow), a Welsh girl whose brother, Bran (The Crow) gave his sister's hand in marriage to an ancient King of Ireland, in the hope that hostilities between Wales and Ireland would come to an end. However, they did not, and hostilities continued.

Eventually, a battle broke out, in Ireland, in which the Welsh suffered heavy losses, and this was because the Irish possessed a magic cauldron, into which would be thrown the bodies of Irish soldiers who died in battle, only for them to be brought back to life by virtue of the potion that the cauldron contained.

When Branwen realised the power of the cauldron, she left the battle-field, found the cauldron and struck it one almighty blow with her sword, which resulted in several cracks appearing. The magic potion flowed out and the bodies of the Irish soldiers slain in battle could no longer be restored to life. Thus the Welsh won the battle and the war with Ireland.

My version is made of heavily scorched and scoured ash (thank you Fiona for the wood), with varying amounts of verdigris wax and copper gilt cream, in an attempt to make the cauldron look old and well used. It's a good size, at 10" diameter and 8" deep (25x20cm)
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: GBF on January 30, 2020, 07:34:41 PM
I love it Les and the story

Regards George
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 30, 2020, 07:40:56 PM
Thank you George, I'm really pleased that you like it.
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Derek on January 30, 2020, 07:43:41 PM

Very nice Les.

I like the little feet on this as well as the finish/decoration effect a little like an instant patina
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: andy44 on January 30, 2020, 07:49:06 PM
Very nice Les, and a great story to go with it too
all the best
Andy
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 30, 2020, 07:49:46 PM
Thank you Derek....I'm glad that you like the feet. I was afraid that they might look a little too small, but given that they'd have been cast iron on the original, they really didn't need to be too chunky.
Les
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 30, 2020, 07:51:32 PM
...great story to go with it...
ah....we Welsh are good story tellers!  ;D
Les
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Twisted Trees on January 31, 2020, 12:39:54 PM
Nice work, great story to enhance it, think I would have gone for some iron powder in that split possibly under-filled to stay uneven and unpolished to go with the tale.
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: wider on January 31, 2020, 03:45:34 PM
That is fab and the story well told.
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 31, 2020, 03:46:59 PM
Nice work, great story to enhance it, think I would have gone for some iron powder in that split possibly under-filled to stay uneven and unpolished to go with the tale.
Thanks for the comments, but it's important for the content of the story, that the cracks are left open (there are several cracks in this). Branwen's cauldron was never repaired.
\les
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Les Symonds on January 31, 2020, 03:47:25 PM
That is fab and the story well told.
Thank you Dennis, for those comments.
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Derek on February 06, 2020, 10:01:58 AM
Thank you Derek....I'm glad that you like the feet. I was afraid that they might look a little too small, but given that they'd have been cast iron on the original, they really didn't need to be too chunky.
Les

As far as I know a Cauldron always had short feet/legs just big enough to clear the round bottom so that once removed from the fire it could be stood up and stable. So as I stated I like them and are well matched to the piece
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Doug Barratt on February 09, 2020, 10:07:11 AM
Very nice Les
Title: Re: Branwen's Cauldron
Post by: Bryan Milham on March 09, 2020, 08:24:38 PM
Les, playing catch up here.

At first I thought that the cracks were too many and too much, but they fit with the tale from the legend so cracks notwithstanding the shape and coloured finish effect really work.