This wooden bowl of white sycamore with a painted design was made by the Scottish artist Liz O'Donnell in 1984. The design was inspired by the bird life on the cliffs of Dunnet Head in Caithness.
The shallow bowl was turned very thin whilst the wood was still green, producing a translucent vessel. The edges were carved into simple feather shapes and enclose a bird's head which is painted in oil.
During the 1980s the Scottish Development Agency purchased a number of hand-crafted items for its Scottish Crafts Collection. The aim of the collection was to inform the public of craft production in Scotland through touring exhibitions and education programmes. When the Scottish Craft Council was wound up, the collection was transferred to the National Museums of Scotland.
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