Gordon Dunphy was an acclaimed New Brunswick woodturner known for his bowls, vessels and vases. He created many from natural burls, which form when part of a tree grows faster than the main trunk, producing a protruding growth, often with a coloured grain. Dunphy said, ‘What’s important to try to catch [is] the spirit that trees have, especially big old hardwood trees, and if I can catch that and make it look simple … the best forms are those that look as if they just happened.’

Acquired by HM King Charles III when Prince of Wales.