1960s Emil Milan Large Sculptural Hand Carved Bissilon Wood Serving Bowl

Description

Beautiful and very large sculptural wood bowl by acclaimed American woodworker, Emil Milan. This bowl is hand carved from Bissilon, … more Beautiful and very large sculptural wood bowl by acclaimed American woodworker, Emil Milan. This bowl is hand carved from Bissilon, a dense wood from Africa and has a wonderful free-flowing shape. Engraved signature on the bottom - Emilan, Bissilon.

Unusually large shape makes it a bit difficult to measure:
22" in length from longest points
15-1/2" in length from shortest points
4" in height

Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition. A few scratches to the inside of the bowl and some scratches and dark areas on the bottom. In Excellent condition for age.

More abut the designer from the Emil Milan web site -

Emil Milan (1922- 1985) was an American woodworker known for his carved bowls, trays, birds, and other accessories and art in wood. Trained as a sculptor at the Art Students League of New York, his life story straddles the 20th Century and is woven into major U.S. and world events including the Industrial Revolution, Great Depression, WWII, the GI Bill, the Cold War, midcentury modern design, and the rise of the studio craft movement in America.

Milan was at the forefront of midcentury modern design with the world’s leading artists and designers of the times. His work distills the very essence of modern design as applied to functional wares in wood. He contributed to the rise of the studio craft movement in America following WWII. He also played a part in the emergence and growth of the American Craft Council, regional craft organizations including New Jersey Designer Craftsmen and Craftsmen of the Endless Mountains, and Peters Valley School of Craft. His work also helped shape the American craft collection of the Smithsonian Institution, and what is now the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.

Participating in many woodworking, craft, and design exhibits of his day, Milan's works are in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Yale University Art Gallery, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Center for Art in Wood, the Museum of Arts and Design, and many private collections. less