Eighth Anniversary: Bronze

November 2021
Bronze, Copper

There are two materials considered traditional for the eighth wedding anniversary: ceramic and bronze. I haven't made pottery since elemetary school, so I decided to stay in my lane and make something out of metal since it was an option. I also finally listened to my wife who said I didn't have to make her jewelry every single anniversary, and tried something new.

This teacup-sized basket is made from bronze woven around a copper skeleton, the spines of which were then woven around the edge to finish off the basket with a copper lip. While basketweaving may seem relatively simple, 1) no it isn't; and 2) bronze is a really stiff material even in a narrow gauge that I had annealed before using. The wabi-sabi execution does give it a handicrafts-sort-of-look, which is nice. And now my wife has something she can use to hold some of the jewelry I've made her for the last several anniversaries!