For the sculpture of a sperm whale a piece of bog oak was used, which was found 15 years ago by a farmer in the area of Itzehoe/Schleswig-Holstein while plowing in his field. An age determination by the Leibnitz-Institute of the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel showed that the wood has an age of 4.300 years. The original tree fell into the bog at an age of approx. 800 years around 1,480 BC (+/- 20 years) and was preserved under airtight conditions.

The wood was freed from rotten parts, sanded and oiled with „Danish Oil“. The mouth of the sperm whale was not artificially sawed in, but a piece of wood was chosen which had a natural indentation. Similar to the wrinkled skin of the sperm whale, the rough, unsanded surface of the wood can still be seen on one side of the sculpture.
The base of the sculpture is made of ship steel.

The sculpture of a sperm whale a piece of bog oak, which has an age of 4.300 years.

Stefan Franke
geb. am 27.05.1966 in Kiel
wohnhaft in Felde bei Kiel
Website: www.frankenholz.info

Since 2010 the name frankenholz stands for unusual wooden objects for interior and exterior use. Especially old wood is processed and combined with other materials such as stone, glass or metal. Thus, the combination of very different materials results in fascinating new objects. In addition, precious woods from all over the world and bog oak are processed for the interior. Each object is unique and guaranteed to be handmade.