The Scented Testament — Thuya Burl Shot Glass

Story / Provenance

Some woods carry their history quietly. Thuya Burl carries it in its figure, its fragrance, and a written record extending back thousands of years.

The wood of Tetraclinis articulata was highly prized in the ancient Mediterranean for its richly figured grain and distinctive aroma. It is commonly identified with the “thyine wood” listed among the costly goods in Revelation 18:12—rendered by some translations as citron wood and by others as scented or fragrant wood. The reference is not to modern citrus wood, but to the prized North African timber the Romans knew as citrum.

My connection to this particular wood began much closer to home. A friend introduced me to a trusted local wood source, where a helpful salesperson connected me with the Thuya Burl blank. That path through friendship, local relationships, and a shared appreciation for unusual wood makes The Scented Testament part of The Gathering.

About This Piece

I first worked with Thuya Burl before acquiring my lathe, shaping an earlier shot glass with the tools and processes available to me at the time. The remaining wood then waited for nearly two years.

Part of that pause came from uncertainty about its pronounced natural fragrance and whether it belonged in a drinking vessel. By the time I returned to it, additional turning experience had sharpened both my process and my instincts for responding to unfamiliar wood. Its aroma no longer seemed to take away from the piece. Instead, it felt like another expression of the material and its long history.

Thuya is dense and naturally oily. Based on how this particular blank presented and responded while being worked, I chose to leave it unstabilized and undyed. Its amber, reddish-brown color and tightly patterned burl figure are entirely natural.

The oily, irregular grain also responded differently to my usual hollowing tool. I completed the traditional interior with a Robust Negative Rake Box Scraper. I found the tool through Tod at Woodturning Tool Store, whose straightforward advice has helped shape parts of my woodturning journey.

The restrained exterior form allows the burl figure, natural color, and distinctive fragrance to define the finished piece.

Details

Name: The Scented Testament
Wood: Thuya Burl
Scientific name: Tetraclinis articulata
Dimensions: Approximately 3-1/4 inches tall × 1-7/8 inches at the widest outside diameter
Interior: Traditional shot-glass profile
Color: Natural; no dye used
Stabilization: Unstabilized
Finish: Polymerizing walnut oil and microcrystalline wax
Craft: Hand-turned
Collection: The Gathering
Quantity: One of one

Natural variations in grain, color, figure, and fragrance are inherent characteristics of the wood. The aroma may soften with time and use.