Although consisting of relatively few parts, the table's six-legged design requires about a half dozen different jigs and over two months of work to complete. The top was resawn entirely from one large, 10' board to ensure consistent grain and color.

Detail of lower stretcher assembly. Both the upper and lower stretchers and joined with a "triple-lap joint," which - I am told - was originally found in classic Chinese furniture.

Each individual piece is shaped by hand before final assembly. This is the sort of work that cannot be done by machine. (Plus, I like doing it.)

Detail of Apron/Leg Assembly. As the curved aprons are meeting each leg at 60 degrees (instead of the usual 45 or 90), this joint alone requires the use of four separate jigs, and constitutes most of the work that goes into this piece.

The box itself is joined with internally-splined miters, and edged with silver. Lined inserts hold the ring in place. The silver inlay in the lid is drilled all the way through the top.

Box with lid closed. All four sides come from one small piece of Macassar Ebony.

The top is inlaid with various gauges of silver wire. The pattern itself represents the map of the sky on the evening of January 18, 2007

The silver banding around the edges are mitered and "riveted" into place with silver wire.

The sides, lid, and bottom of the box are made from one piece of 150 year-old Longleaf Pine, a species once found throughout the southeastern United States and Gulf Coast and historically used for ships, spars, bridges, flooring, and railroad carriages. The wood is hard, durable, and has a nice...well, pine scent.

The pegs, which lock the lid into place, are made from Texas Ebony, a species native to southwestern Texas. The inside of the box is lined with a velvet pad, making it ideal for jewelry storage. The lid itself is reversible, and the pins are interchangeable. The original salvaged floor joist is shown below the box.

The idea behind this piece was to make a small jewelry box whose decorative elements all derive from a particular function: the notched keys are left extended to facilitate their removal; the shaped top serves as finger-grips when opening and closing the lid; the exposed box joints on the corners provide an extremely strong and long-lasting connection.

The design of the box was completely driven by the wood itself. Rather than using an exotic (and most likely endangered) species, I thought it would be nice to use local, reclaimed wood, in this case, longleaf pine. The heavy grain pattern of the pine lent itself to a sort of Japanese aesthetic, which in turn informed the joinery and details I used. Plus, I was excited to make something out of wood that literally came from Houston.