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Counterpoise modern sculptural wood vase displayed with delicate white flowers in a minimalist interior and natural side light.
Counterpoise hand-carved pear wood vase held by the artist, showing the irregular balance of its central axis and three supporting forms.
One-of-a-kind Counterpoise wooden vase held by the artist in warm sunlight, showing its handmade proportions and sculptural scale.
Close view of Counterpoise pear wood sculpture showing smooth curved planes, deep carved channels and visible hand-tool texture.
Rear view of Counterpoise sculptural pear wood vase showing the relationship between its central textured axis and two curved outer forms.
Three-quarter view of Counterpoise organic modern wood vase showing how its three asymmetrical supporting forms change from different angles.
Counterpoise sculptural wooden vase held by the artist, showing its scale, curved supporting forms and hand-carved surface texture.
Hand-carved Counterpoise pear wood vase held in two hands to show its 36 cm height, proportions and substantial sculptural form.
Macro detail of the hand-carved pear wood surface on Counterpoise, with irregular tool marks revealed by natural light.
Top view of Counterpoise showing the triangular carved opening and three individually shaped wooden forms surrounding the central axis.
  1. Counterpoise modern sculptural wood vase displayed with delicate white flowers in a minimalist interior and natural side light.
  2. Counterpoise hand-carved pear wood vase held by the artist, showing the irregular balance of its central axis and three supporting forms.
  3. One-of-a-kind Counterpoise wooden vase held by the artist in warm sunlight, showing its handmade proportions and sculptural scale.
  4. Close view of Counterpoise pear wood sculpture showing smooth curved planes, deep carved channels and visible hand-tool texture.
  5. Rear view of Counterpoise sculptural pear wood vase showing the relationship between its central textured axis and two curved outer forms.
  6. Three-quarter view of Counterpoise organic modern wood vase showing how its three asymmetrical supporting forms change from different angles.
  7. Counterpoise sculptural wooden vase held by the artist, showing its scale, curved supporting forms and hand-carved surface texture.
  8. Hand-carved Counterpoise pear wood vase held in two hands to show its 36 cm height, proportions and substantial sculptural form.
  9. Macro detail of the hand-carved pear wood surface on Counterpoise, with irregular tool marks revealed by natural light.
  10. Top view of Counterpoise showing the triangular carved opening and three individually shaped wooden forms surrounding the central axis.

Counterpoise

Counterpoise is a one-of-a-kind hand-carved sculptural vase made from solid pear wood and finished using the yakisugi technique.

Three related yet intentionally different forms rise around a slightly leaning central axis, each supporting it in its own way. The result is a form that feels visually off balance while remaining firmly stable — shaped by hand, without calculated symmetry or repetition.

A removable glass tube allows a single fresh flower or branch to become part of the composition, while Counterpoise remains complete as an abstract sculpture on its own.

150 €

1 in stock

Description

Counterpoise

Counterpoise is a one-of-a-kind hand-carved pear wood sculpture and sculptural vase, shaped around balance without symmetry.

Three related forms rise around a central axis. They seem almost alike at first, yet none repeats another. Each meets the core differently — holding it, supporting it, allowing it to lean.

The structure is stable, but it does not quite look still.

Its vertical axis shifts subtly away from the expected line, creating a quiet tension between weight and movement. What appears slightly precarious is, in fact, firmly balanced.

Process & Material

I did not calculate the proportions of Counterpoise.

The proportions were not calculated. They were carved.

I began with a solid piece of pear wood and worked without a sketch or predetermined geometry. The triangular structure developed gradually as I carved — through looking, turning the piece, removing material and responding to what the previous movement had changed.

The three forms were never intended to become identical.

They share a rhythm, but each developed its own relationship with the central core. One remains closer. Another opens further away. Their curves, contact points and distances shift subtly from one side to another.

This is the kind of balance I look for in my work — not the precision of repetition, but the point at which different forms begin to hold together.

After carving, I charred the wood using the yakisugi technique. Fire deepened the surface of the pear wood into black, graphite and warm brown tones. I intentionally preserved the hand-carved texture within the recessed areas, while the broader outer planes remain quieter and smoother.

Under changing light, these surfaces behave differently. The deeper cuts absorb light, while the raised planes reveal warmer undertones and traces of the wood beneath the charred finish.

The hand remains visible in the finished form.

Presence in Space

Counterpoise changes as you move around it.

Its triangular structure offers no single dominant front. From one side, the central axis appears almost upright; from another, its lean becomes more pronounced. The spaces between the three surrounding forms widen and narrow, allowing light to enter the dark carved recesses at different angles.

There is tension in this apparent instability, but also stillness.

Placed alone, Counterpoise reads as an abstract sculpture. With a single flower or branch inserted into the removable glass tube, the botanical element becomes a temporary continuation of its slightly displaced vertical line.

The contrast is deliberate: charred pear wood and living material, visual fragility and physical stability, three individual movements held within one form.

Authenticity

Counterpoise is a one-of-a-kind original sculpture, hand-carved by me in my studio in Poland.

It was created from solid pear wood without CNC carving, templates or digital modelling. Natural variations, carving marks and subtle irregularities have been intentionally preserved as part of the work.

The sculpture is signed by the artist and photographed in natural light. The photographs show the actual piece — no AI renders or digitally generated interiors are used to represent the sculpture.

Technical Details

Title: Counterpoise
Material: Solid pear wood
Technique: Hand carving, yakisugi / charred wood technique
Form: Sculptural vase on a triangular plan
Glass tube: Removable, Ø 2 × 20 cm
Dimensions: H 36 × W 18 × D 15/13 cm
Weight: 2 kg
Edition: One of a kind
Origin: Handmade in Poland
Signed: Yes

Shipping

This sculpture is ready to ship directly from my studio in Poland.

European Union
Free shipping is included for selected EU countries.

United States, Canada, Norway, United Kingdom & Switzerland
Shipping is available directly through this website. The shipping cost is calculated at checkout according to the size of the sculpture and its individual packaging requirements.

Each sculpture is carefully packed in reinforced protective packaging and shipped with tracking and insurance.

For destinations not currently available at checkout, international collectors can also purchase through my Etsy shop.

Every order includes a VAT invoice. Please note that orders shipped outside the European Union may be subject to local import duties, taxes or customs fees according to the regulations of the destination country.

Additional information

Weight 2 kg
Dimensions 15 × 18 × 36 cm