Triskelion Table
We created the triskelion table for a regular patron in Asheville, North Carolina. This mosaic is purely decorative, a celebration of my client's fascination with- and affection for- the triskelion symbol. To him it is purely aesthetic; he has loved the icon for years and had an idea to have it in stone.
The triskelion symbol - three armored legs wearing spurs - is the centerpiece of the Isle of Man flag and has its origins in Celtic artwork. A similar pattern of three spirals appears at Newgrange, an Irish tomb that is over 5000 years old. The three spirals are thought to symbolize birth, death, and rebirth.
The table top is natural surface Tennessee Gray sandstone. The mosaic inlay is polished stone tiles: white marble and gold travertine. The table top is set on a single stone post, that is anchored to a concrete footing. Steel bracing supports the table top- so it cannot tip or rotate- and anchors the post to the footer. This steel is unobtrusive and does not disrupt the look of the final artwork.
I enjoy the hyper focus on mosaic work, and that was true on this project. Cutting the recessed pocket into the table top was the most challenging and therefore rewarding/fraught part of the process. The spurs were very complicated patterns to cut into stone. I always enjoy the place where engineering and art intersect, like making this table bombproof and beautiful.
Completed, it now sits on his private residence in North Asheville.