One-of-a-Kind No. 168 – Sculptural Dining Table Made from 50,000-Year-Old Burl Wood
One-of-a-kind piece No. 168 is a sculptural, handcrafted dining table made from exceptional ancient kauri burl wood. The tabletop, measuring 205 × 110 × 6.5 cm, combines a calm, warm grain with a unique bark texture that is visible in the center of the tabletop.
What appears to be a unique grain pattern in the wood is actually preserved bark from the interior of a massive root. Natural amber is found within this bark structure; open areas have been filled with transparent epoxy resin.
When prehistoric solid wood, bark, and amber come together in a single material, a tabletop becomes a work of art inspired by the history of the Earth.
A sculptural dining table that blends functional art, sculptural furniture, and collectible design.
Uniqueness thanks to a distinctive bark zone
Sculptural table made from a massive root formation
The size and shape of the root determine the character of the piece. The calm grain of the tabletop provides the backdrop, while the distinctive bark zone in the center lends it a unique character.
The result is an extraordinary dining table whose design is not based on a decoration added later. The essential characteristics of this design piece were already present in the solid, natural material.
The Creation of the Art and Design Object
Bark Inside the Root—An Extraordinary Rootwood Table
What makes this sculptural table unique is the way its structure formed. The massive root grew around areas that were originally part of the tree’s outer zone. In the process, the bark became enclosed by the root’s continued growth.
It wasn't until the old root wood was cut open that it became clear what had been preserved inside over the millennia. What was once the tree's outer bark now lies inside the root.
You can see an example of how these works are created in Unikat 139.
Humans do not create this beauty. They reveal it.
Documented Origin
A collector's item made of solid wood that is more than 50,000 years old
The age of the Achaean rootwood was scientifically examined. To this end, samples of the solid wood were sent to the Leibniz Laboratory for Age Determination and Isotope Research in Kiel for radiocarbon analysis. The laboratory confirmed, with a probability of at least 98%, that the sample is more than 50,000 calendar years old.
As a result, the wood used for the tabletop of Unikat No. 168 has an extraordinary, well-documented history.
A Unique Natural Material
Amber in the bark-like texture of the collectible design object
The preserved bark contains natural amber inclusions. They are part of the same material zone in which the original bark structure has also been preserved.
The golden-colored amber stands out against the backdrop of wood, bark, and the extraordinary story of how this root came to be.
More about ingrown amber.
Functional Design
Transparent epoxy resin fillings preserve the original structure
The open and irregular areas of the bark formation containing embedded amber were filled with transparent epoxy resin. This preserves the original structure while creating an artistic and functional surface that serves as an extravagant eye-catcher.
The design does not attempt to conceal the material's traces. Instead, it makes them accessible for later use as both a work of art and a functional table.
Sculptural Furniture
Art Furniture: A Blend of Functional Art and Collectible Design
Unique Piece No. 168 combines the qualities of a sculptural design object with the function of a dining table. The tabletop is not merely a functional element—it is the artwork itself.
As a result, this extraordinary solid-wood table straddles the line between functional art, sculptural furniture, and exclusive collectible design.
The piece is a work of art.
The piece is a table.
The two form an inseparable whole.
Exclusive, One-of-a-Kind Design
A truly unique piece and a one-of-a-kind collector's item
The uniqueness of this dining table stems from the interplay of several characteristics: the extraordinary age and finite nature of the swamp wood, the embedded bark, its unusual position within the root, the natural amber inclusions, and the design that emerged from these elements.
This combination makes the piece truly one-of-a-kind—because there is only one of its kind, and its blend of materials, history, natural form, and craftsmanship cannot be replicated.
Further explanations regarding the unique nature of Beaupoil's works.
Available Collectible
Collectible Furniture for Architectural Living Spaces
As a sculptural collector’s piece, this functional dining table can make just as much of a statement in spacious living and dining areas as it can in exclusive gallery interiors. The calm wooden surface and the striking bark-like texture give the room a focal point of its own, without relying on decorative elements.
The collection combines exceptional designer furniture with functional art and a clearly visible history of its materials.
