Botiquin

In an earlier post I spoke of the pickup load of Manzanita prunings our friends, Gene and Jackie gave me to work into the vessels I build.  It is a beautiful, colorful hard wood and I have sence used it in a number of my vessel creations.   Botiquin was made and given as a gift to my oldest daughter, Amy.  

The Manzanita plant has long been regarded as a source of medical assistance, hence the title "Botiquin", which is Spanish for "medicine chest".  Leaves and berries from the 36 species native to the U.S. have been used in tea as a diuretic while other potions and poultices are reported to cure affliction of;  Altumenoria,  Bronchitis, and Venereal Decease.  Indians used the berries as food and steeped them to form a beverage.  Other benefits from this low spreading plant which forms dense thickets is the cover it affords wildlife and food for the browsing deer or other small animals and birds that feed upon the fruit.  The roots of the Manzanita also work well to retard erosion of the land.

                                 Technical Information

Size:     8" dia,  12" L.

Weight:           4 lb.

Material:          Limb segments were adhered to a fiberglass shell.  Larger limb segments ring the                                 opening of the vessel.  Resin with a dark filler was used to grout between the wood                               segments.

Source:            Pruning from a friend in Oracle, Arizona.

Finish:            Finished surface of wood was treated with Danish Oil and a paste wax finish was                                  applied to all surfaces.

*More detail can be found on my art at my website <www.apatchablue.com>