Terry Pratchett
Commemorative Chest
Howard Butler x
Terry Pratchett
COLLABORATION
The brief was to make a life size piece, ‘The Luggage’, a character from Terry Pratchett’s book, The Colour of Magic. The Luggage would then be filled with bespoke jewellery for presentation at the Memorial Service for Sir Terry Prachett, which was held at the Barbican Theatre, London. The jewellery was designed for the family and the new ‘The Venerable order of the Honey Bee’.
I enjoyed making this chest and believe it has a character of its own, especially when it smiles. My favourite parts to make were the mechanical moving parts, such as the independent jaw that locates in several positions in one fluid motion, and the tray, which is controlled by a specially designed rivet that when turned protrudes a locking bar.
In the fantasy books, the chest is supposed to be made from sapient pear wood, so I thought it was appropriate to finish the chest in pear beeswax. My friends have beehives, and the bees feed on the pear trees across the river. Perfect, so I melted it down and made my own pear wood wax for authenticity.
