Mei Hua

Description

Mei Hua – "Plum Blossom" (Mandarin) – is a marquetry art piece and is part of Natasha's Portraits collection.

This silhouette cameo has a background of walnut burl and the profile is figured sycamore.  Walnut burl is an especially difficult medium to work with due to its tendency to crumble when cut.  It requires extra reinforcing during the marquetry process.  Despite that, the extra effort and complexity to creating the piece is worthwhile.  The walnut offers a rich and varied background with depth that accentuates the detail in the lighter sycamore.

Mei Hua is one of Natasha’s most difficult and accomplished artworks.  Many of the fine pieces of sycamore used for the portrait are mere slivers, making the work elaborate and subtle.