"Charlie Brown and Lucy"

Stabilized Spalted Tamarind Shot Glass

Dimensions: Approx. 3" tall × 1 3/4" diameter

Hand-shaped with grinder and grit, this shot glass is carved from stabilized spalted tamarind—a dense, resilient wood sourced from Indonesia and among the most solid materials Dan has worked with. Unlike lathe-turned pieces, this vessel was formed using an angle grinder, sanding blocks, and hand tools—a process that trades precision for intimacy, allowing the maker to respond to the wood’s contours in real time. Every curve is the result of tactile negotiation, not mechanical repetition.

On the left-facing side, the spalting reveals bold contrasts and expressive grain—light and dark zones that seem to sketch a familiar scene. There's an uncanny resemblance to a classic comic duo: a round-headed optimist and his sharp-tongued counterpart, captured in silhouette by the wood’s own improvisation. On the right, the grain shifts into a more abstract composition—broad strokes of preserved entropy, like smoke trails or windblown ink across parchment.

Stabilization locks in the wood’s structure and visual character, allowing the spalting to remain crisp and permanent. Finished with polymerized walnut oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax, the surface is smooth, sealed, and ready to serve.

This is a vessel shaped by intuition and tools—where contrast becomes character, and the grain sketches stories you didn’t expect but instantly recognize. It’s a quiet testament to the kind of craftsmanship that listens first, then carves.