It is in nature that António Fernandes finds the raw material for his work: logs and pieces of wood that have been shaped by the marks of the passage of time. They are chosen for their natural forms, which may suggest possible figures or objects, and are then carved to make the final piece.
So it was with this cup, or fruit bowl, inspired by the ancient troughs of small domestic animals, once used in rural areas of northern Portugal. The piece was carved from the wood of an old ash tree trunk found next to Azibo dam, near Macedo de Cavaleiros. After years of being under water, the trunk was left on the beach after a low tide one day, by now with an old texture and dark colour. The hands of the craftsman gave it the desired shape, and with it a new life and new role.
