Miniature palm nut vessel by Joshua Salesin. .875 inch (22 mm) tall (shown on a 1:12 scale Peter Tucker bench)

A longtime colleague and friend, the multi-talented Joshua Salesin gifted me one of his exquisite miniature vases, this one made from a palm nut, turned on his 175-year old lathe. I am so honored.

Here are some of his wee vessels made in 2005. The largest is about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm).

Miniature wood vessels by Joshua Salesin, 2005

Read about his process and techniques, and see the broad range of his superb and very original work at www.joshuasalesin.com.

Another old friend, Tauna Coulson, also ridiculously multi-talented, raided her stash and presented me with a bag of amaze. She knows me so well! (Unsurprising, as we shared office space for many years.) Among the miniature builders-pertinent stuff was a ribbon-tied set of 15 wood veneer samples, and a piece of the softest, most-perfect-shade-of-red leather:

Such treasures!