Nine Men's Morris Board (W6)

Catalogue Record

Collection

Primary Collection

Maker

Desmond Ryan

Title

Nine Men's Morris Board

Made in

London Borough of Islington

Date

1978

Description

Nine Men's Morris board, made of a plywood base with amboyna veneer and padauk lippings and inlays, and eighteen counters made of ebony and boxood.

Materials and techniques

Padauk and amboyna. The 'men' are made of Indian ebony and boxwood. Plywood base with amboyna veneer and padauk lippings and inlays.

Dimensions

length: 37cm

width: 37cm

height: 5.5cm

Object number

Maker's statement

Most of my previous work has been directed to functional pieces and it is important to me that the operation of such pieces do not suffer for the whim of an external form. My approach to the external appearance of any object has been inextricably tined to the internal structure and function of that object. I have tried in the past to pare away external frills and achieve simple forms and allow the subtlety of the detailing to emerge slowly. To off set the somewhat stark nature of some of my work I like to play with the surprise element, particularly with boxes of the object closed to a more complex but similarly ordered interior when open. However, over a number of years I have given a considerable amount of thought to the possibility of including more decoration in my work. It is not so much an abandoning of one approach for another but an amalgamation, and once which is more instinctive than planned. The change is still in its early stage but the piece here represents more than any other the gradual development of any thoughts towards more decorative work. Although the very nature of this board games gives it a decorative aspect I have tried to explore the difficulties of combining a number of different tones and colours whilst retaining a cohesive whole.