Seal
This creature-like sculpture has been carved from a branch of the oak tree in the Wood Quarry.
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Seal by David Nash
Date and material
- 2012
- Oak
A 'devil-scarer' from Kew's Economic Botany Collection
Inspired by Kew’s collections
To mark out where to make his cuts, Nash drew on this piece of oak with chalk. This reminded him of the intricate cross-hatching carved into a devil-scarer kept in Kew's Economic Botany Collection. The devil-scarer, also called a cora or boonangharry, is from Western Australia and is made from eucalyptus. The name ‘devil-scarer’ is probably a Victorian understanding of aboriginal spirituality; this slender object would have been swung to keep evil spirits away. You can see this artefact on display in Gallery 4 in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art.
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1 comment on 'Seal'
ryan deiss says
21/11/2012 5:35:48 AM | Report abuse
To mark out where to make his cuts, Nash drew on this piece of oak with chalk. This reminded him of the intricate cross-hatching carved into a devil-scarer kept in Kew's