This bowl was turned from a fallen branch of the historic Painter Ginkgo at Tyler Arboretum.

In the seventeenth century, Japan was closed to Europeans except for a small artificial island near Nagasaki called Dejima, where the Shogun created an isolated trading post to allow international commerce but prevent the spread of Christianity. Engelbert Kaempfer was a physician, naturalist, and explorer who arrived at Dejima in 1690 and stayed for a couple of years. He learned Japanese, was allowed to visit Edo (now Tokyo) because he was a physician and spent some time with Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.

Kaempfer encountered the Ginkgo Bilboa tree at a Buddhist Monastery in Nagasaki in 1691, and was the first European to describe it, calling it a living fossil. Even though removing restricted items from Japan was punishable by severe penalties (including death), Kaempfer managed to smuggle out his collection of notes, sketches, and seeds with a combination of bribery and diplomatic manipulation. The ginkgo seeds were first planted in a botanical garden in Utrecht in 1730, and those trees are still there. The ginkgo made its way to London by the 1750s, and from there to the Philadelphia area in the late 1700s. Tyler’s ginkgo was planted by the Painter brothers in the mid-1800’s.

Approximately 9.5” in diameter x 4” deep. All our bowls are carefully sanded and finished with Betty’s Board Butter (beeswax & food safe mineral oil). Movement in the wood is considered normal. Clean with a damp cloth. Dry immediately. Re-oil occasionally.

If you haven’t been to Tyler Arboretum yet, you should. It’s absolutely magical. One of the oldest arboreta in the northeastern U.S., Tyler Arboretum encompasses 650 acres of renowned plant collections, heritage and champion trees, historic buildings and 17 miles of hiking trails through woodlands, wetlands and meadows. Open to the public 362 days a year.