Nature inspired cabinet pulls

The yellowjacket wasp was the model for our open and closed wing wasp cabinet pull and was originally designed for the Ascot Highboy a furniture piece made by our sister company Martin Pierce Furnishings. In keeping with the yellowjacket we finished these pieces with a yellow oxide which we burnished along the wing veins to expose the golden bronze beneath.

The Ascot tallboy was a limited edition of 100 which was closed at number 78 in 2013. The piece was made using quartered English brown oak, selected for its rich brown amber hues and for it’s dark “leoparding” a term that refers to the darker spotted figuring. The open and closed wing wasps were patinated to compliment this distinctive wood.

Several years ago, on a road trip to Idaho, we stayed at Lake Pend Oreille and came across the bald-faced hornet which is a relative of the yellowjacket but being much larger it is referred to as a hornet. The black and white markings of this insect are why it is referred to as bald-faced rather like the way we refer to the “bald” eagle.

Our memory of the hornet’s markings influenced a recent order that called for a simpler black oxide patina. By restricting the black patina to the head and thorax and by burnishing the wings we were able to create a dramatic statement using a simple patina on a small piece.

The wasps are cast in solid silicon bronze and are part of our insect and animal collection of cabinet knobs.

Wasp and Insect Cabinet Pulls

To say that Martin Pierce is fascinated by insects would be an understatement and it explains why insects and their habitat figure so much in his cabinet pulls as well as his paintings, sculpture and furniture. 

This fascination is not shared by all but we have found that many of our gardening neighbors understand the role that these creatures play in helping to keep their gardens free of voracious caterpillars and from the adult flies such white-fly that they become. At the weekend Martin was able to snap a shot of a beautiful mud dauber wasp, named for the way it daubs mud to create individual chambers for each of its lava.  The wasp catches a caterpillar and entombs it in the lava's pod like chamber thus providing a constant food source for the developing lava that when it pupates will emerge as a strikingly colored wasp. The nest chambers are equally impressive and are made of multiple layers of mud built up over a period of days that dry and harden to become robust adobe like homes. Once the caterpillar has been deposited the wasp then lays an egg on it and secures the chamber with more mud.

This architectural skill  is one that is found in other species and we have seen swallows build nests using a similar approach. What makes the dauber wasp awe inspiring is how she creates her chambers to be just the right size and strength to support the larder and her offspring. Where are her blueprints, where is her scaffolding, apparently they are not required.

Insect and other Nature Inspired Sculptures

Hardware, bugs and more at Martin Pierce Hardware

Throughout the years we have shared with you Martin's interest, actually fascination, with insects.  So much so that for several months last year we hosted two beetles we fondly named Natasha and Boris. This interest not only includes the study of their habits but extends further to the study of their habitats, behavior and skeletal structure.  Therefore, many of our vacations and weekend excursions are planned for the very purpose of scouting for and studying many of these creatures. All of this research and study enables Martin to apply amazing detail to not only custom hardware pieces but also to the bronze sculptures and paintings he has been working on. While photographs and more information on these pieces will be available soon, rest assured that the wait will be worth it.

Here are a few examples of some of the custom hardware pieces, in actuality miniature sculptures, that we offer in our collections.  The same labor intensive casting process is used in our smaller hardware pieces as is used in our larger sculptures and custom projects.  Please make note of the exquisite detail in each and every piece.

Wasps feature prominently in some of Martin's new work.  However, our Animal collection of architectural hardware includes a bronze wasp drawer pull that is available in both an open wing and closed wing design.  The beautiful detailing on the wings adds dimension and texture and would be a wonderful addition to the decorative design of a retail boutique, spa or residential project.

Many items from our various collections, including the wasp pull, are artfully displayed at Folger & Burt's showroom in San Francisco.

To view our entire collection of custom hardware or to discuss your own hospitality design project, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.