“Bog oak” is wood that has lain in swamp or bog for hundreds or thousands of years. Reaction products of the tannic acid of the wood with the iron salts of the water color the “bog oak” black or dark brown. Only by accident do these wooden relicts come up to the surface to see the light of day. The first impression is more likely to be that of a morbid, decrepit material, but when working with it, you quickly realize that it can be very hard and resistant to gleam in silky sheen after extensive polishing. It is a special charm to draw new life from this hoary “material fossil”. In this way, unique artworks arise from particular finds of ancient “bog oak”.

Hans-Hinrich Sievers