Plum Bowl, 2011

Woodturned bowl with silver inlay. The central well of the bowl is inlaid with a spiral of silver dots. It is made from sycamore and dyed with a deep rich plum colour. Bennett works mainly in sycamore, as its pale surface is an excellent canvas for his colouring techniques. He finishes the pieces with Danish oil, which creates a lustrous protective sheen. Bennett adds silver or gold, by filling hundreds of individually drilled holes with dots of sterling silver or 18-carat gold wire.

Materials: Sycamore, sterling silver

Year purchased: 2011

Location: Reconstructed Rooms: Four Centuries of Furnishings gallery